By Tony Obiechina Abuja
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has successfully completed upsizing its reserve-based lending facility in favour of Oando Oil Limited to US$375 million.
The company’s pay down of the original US$525-million facility, secured in 2019, to US$100 million in 2024 created significant headroom for refinancing and enhancing Oando’s financial flexibility.
The upsizing, led by Afreximbank, with support from Mercuria Asia Resources PTE Limited (Mercuria), which marks a key milestone in Oando’s strategic capital management, will support Oando’s ambition to achieve production of 100,000 barrels of oil per day and 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day by the end of 2029, effectively boosting Nigeria’s oil output and reinforcing the country’s position in the global energy market.
The upsizing is further expected to drive local economic growth by creating jobs, improving infrastructure, and fostering technological advancements in the oil and gas sector.
Commenting on the development.
Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC and Executive Chairman, Oando Energy Resources said:
“We are pleased to have completed the upsizing of our RBL facility, a strategic milestone that reinforces our commitment as Operator of the Oando-NEPL JV to maximizing the value of our expanded asset portfolio. Our Joint Venture holds extensive reserves with the potential to generate over $11 billion in net cash flows to Oando over the assets’ life. This working capital facility is a critical enabler towards efficiently extracting and monetizing these resources.
“We appreciate the continued partnership of Afreximbank and Mercuria, whose unwavering support underscores their alignment with our long-term focus on maximizing production, optimizing asset performance, and delivering sustainable value to all stakeholders”.
In his own comments, Mr. Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank, described the transaction as a critical step in advancing Afreximbank’s strategy for promoting local content in Africa’s oil and gas sector.
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“Afreximbank remains a longstanding financial partner to Oando PLC and its affiliates and has consistently supported the company’s growth and expansion initiatives.
“We are delighted that Mercuria, one of the world’s largest independent energy and commodities groups and one of our partners, has brought its global expertise and financial backing to the transaction, further strengthening Oando’s ability to execute its production growth strategy.”
