On August 6, 2026 in Cairo, Egypt, the Chadian Minister of Finance, Tahir Hamid Nguilin, and the President of the African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank), George Elombi, signed a financing agreement of 72 billion CFA francs (nearly 125 million USD). According to the parties, “these funds are intended to support projects included in the Chadian state budget in infrastructure and the development of trade”.
The Chadian government has not yet revealed the exact nature of the beneficiary projects, let alone their implementation schedule. The official statement following the ceremony on August 6, 2026 is not specific on this matter. It only mentions “two priority areas” without citing any specific operations. This ambiguity is not isolated as this signature is part of a more ambitious agreement, concluded in June 2025 in Abuja between the two parties. Based on this agreement, Afreximbank had committed to mobilize up to 868 billion CFA francs (approximately 1.5 billion USD) in favor of the Chadian private sector in several priority sectors, without specifying.
As for the infrastructure aspect, it is rumored that it could notably concern road development, a long-standing priority for Ndjamena. Several major projects still need funding or completion, starting with the connection to Cameroon and the port of Douala, “a transit point for nearly 70% of goods destined for Chad,” according to the World Bank. This corridor is already the subject of a separate program of around 470 billion CFA francs (approximately 813 million USD) over ten years, supported by the International Development Association and the European Union, alongside a large-scale rehabilitation project of nearly 800 kilometers of roads on the Cameroonian side announced in early August 2026.
The second axis, dedicated to trade, is at the heart of Afreximbank’s historical expertise in Central Africa. The pan-African bank has already financed, to the tune of 534 billion CFA francs (approximately 923 million USD), the construction of a new terminal at the port of Douala with APD-Cameroon, and opened in June 2025 a line of credit of 65 billion CFA francs (approximately 113 million USD) to the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) for projects in the entire CEMAC zone, including Chad.
With 72 billion CFA francs, the funding allocated to Ndjamena appears to be more tailored to support several targeted operations, or strengthen projects already underway, rather than solely finance a very large-scale infrastructure. It confirms the growing role that Afreximbank plays in financing Chadian development, alongside a group of donors already involved in the same corridors, a overlap of funding that would ultimately require clarification by the Chadian authorities themselves.
