ATIDI plans to double capital to $2 billion to scale African investment

The African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) agency plans to double its capital to $2 billion within approximately two years, according to CEO Manuel Moses. The recapitalization aims to expand the Nairobi-based insurer's annual guarantee capacity from roughly $3 billion to as much as $20 billion, addressing capital constraints that currently limit its ability to support large-scale African projects.

Supported by a shift from traditional aid toward risk-sharing mechanisms, the initiative has gained momentum from international and regional actors. The African Development Bank recently approved a $125 million equity investment, raising its stake to 14%. Germany's KfW Development Bank has also joined as a shareholder with a $32 million investment.

Additionally, France has announced plans to acquire a stake and support a continent-wide first-loss guarantee to reduce risk for private investors. Discussions are reportedly ongoing with other G7 nations and approximately 30 African states that are not yet members. ATIDI provides political-risk and credit-risk insurance intended to make infrastructure and trade projects more attractive to private and institutional capital.