(Ecofin Agency) – The EIB mainly supports projects aligned with the priorities of the « Global Gateway » initiative, a European development assistance plan that provides €150 billion in investments in Africa over 6 years to contribute to the development of infrastructure.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) group announced on Tuesday, February 24 that it had invested €3.1 billion (USD3.6 billion) in Africa in 2025, of which about 46% were allocated to climate action and environmental sustainability. This amount represents about a third of the total volume of investments (more than €9 billion) deployed by BEI Monde, its branch specialising in strengthening the impact of international partnerships and development financing.
The projects supported are aligned with the national priorities of the targeted countries as well as those of the « Global Gateway » program, a development aid plan unveiled in early 2022 by the European Union and which provides for €150 billion in investments in Africa over six years. Priority areas have thus been support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through credit lines, investment in venture capital funds, sustainable energy, transport infrastructure, water and health
The European financial institution also specified, in a statement, that the main beneficiary countries in Africa were Morocco, Malawi, Nigeria, Mauritania, and Egypt. In sub-Saharan Africa, key projects include the development of the blue economy in Mauritania and Cape Verde, support for the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire, the development of agricultural value chains in Sierra Leone and Guinea, and access to electricity in rural communities in Cameroon.
In North Africa, the investments concerned, among other things, projects to rebuild the infrastructure affected by the 2023 earthquake and the construction of water infrastructure resilient to climate change in Morocco, as well as the decarbonization of industries and the Obelisk photovoltaic project, the largest solar power plant coupled with a battery storage facility in Africa, Egypt. « As the financial arm of the EU, held by its 27 Member States, we are changing where it matters most – in the context of projects with a high impact, tangible for the population, and on which communities across Africa can rely, » said Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB Group, quoted in the press release.
More broadly, BEI World has committed more than €350 million in new investment funds in 2025, including those deployed by Amethis and Ardian to strengthen companies and stimulate new projects in Africa.
In addition to project financing and technical advice, the EIB also mobilises private investments by providing data that help improve the assessment of the risks of investing in emerging markets.
source : agence ecofin
