Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
The independent young: The Development Bank Shelter Africa has just concluded an important contract with Algerian Qatari Steel (AQS), an amount estimated at more than $ 1.2 billion. What is this partnership?
Amadou Thiam: Shelter Africa is the only African bank oriented towards housing and urban development. We all know that by 2050, more than 900 million Africans will live in urban areas. It is therefore a large number of cities that we have to build. However, we must wonder. Are we going to build well? Because to build well, we need good materials.
As an organization created by African States, we want to make all African countries benefit from materials produced by Africans in the realization of these projects. This is why we start collaboration with AQS, producer of building materials, mainly iron. A collaboration that we appreciate and we will ensure that all of their production can be used in our projects through the African continent. This is why we signed this contract.
How will this partnership materialize?
Concretely, the implementation of this partnership will be made in two phases. At first, we will support the financing and co -financing of the production of warehouses at the level of Central Africa and West Africa, then, in the second phase, we will ensure that all AQS products are intended for the African market.
Have you concluded other partnerships as part of the 4e Edition of the intra-African trade fair? And what are your prospects?
We have many projects in sight. Three days ago, Shelter Africa and the African Export African Bank Afreximbank signed a commitment relating to the creation of a common fund which aims to solve the problems encountered by African projects. This fund will support project leaders and help them carry out their field. Too often, the projects are poorly mounted, which is why we will support them in this context. This will support projects up to more than a billion dollars.
These partnerships are therefore part of the principle “Build Africa by Africans” …
Exactly, it’s our creed. We believe in it because it is the mission that the 44 African states have entrusted to us. We are a 100 % African development bank and we can only promote African companies.
Can you give us your appreciation of the IATF 2025?
We salute the organization of the IATF 2025 but also the work of the Afreximbank. The mobilization of $ 90 billion for the realization of several projects testified. This kind of event allows large companies, such as AQS, as well as the Shelter Africa bank to meet, know each other and realize that the solution is right next and not elsewhere.