The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), acting on behalf of the Tunisian state, signed a $500 million financing facility with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on June 16, 2026, equivalent to around 1.47 billion dinars.
According to a statement issued by the central bank, the funding is intended to support the mobilization of external resources provided for under the 2026 Finance Law.
The BCT said the facility would help finance imports of strategic goods, particularly in the energy and food sectors.
The agreement was signed at Afreximbank headquarters in Cairo by BCT Governor Fethi Zouhair Nouri and Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board George Elombi, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions.
The operation forms part of a long-standing strategic partnership between Tunisia and Afreximbank, based on a shared vision for African economic development, financial integration across the continent and strengthening financing capacities for African economies.
“Tunisia, as a founding member of Afreximbank, remains deeply committed to strengthening this exemplary cooperation, which has continued to expand in recent years,” the BCT said.
Beyond its financial significance, the agreement sends what the central bank described as a strong signal of confidence in Tunisia’s economic prospects and in the country’s ability to continue its macroeconomic consolidation and modernization efforts.
The BCT noted that despite a challenging international environment marked by successive health, geopolitical, energy and financial crises, Tunisia’s economy has demonstrated “remarkable resilience.”
“Tunisia has honored all its external financial commitments, preserved the continuity of international payments, maintained a comfortable level of foreign currency reserves and continued efforts to stabilize inflation and the exchange rate,” the statement added.
According to the central bank, these performances have strengthened confidence and credibility among international financial partners and investors.
Speaking on the occasion, BCT Governor Fethi Zouhair Nouri said the agreement “goes far beyond a simple financial transaction” and reflects Afreximbank’s renewed confidence in Tunisia and in its capacity to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening competitiveness and economic resilience.
“This facility will help consolidate our external financial balances and support the financing of our strategic needs in an international context marked by significant uncertainty,” Nouri said.
He added that the agreement also reflects the strength of the historical ties between Tunisia and Afreximbank and the shared ambition to promote a more integrated, resilient and economically sovereign Africa.
The BCT governor further highlighted the growing role played by African financial institutions in financing the continent’s development.
He reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening African financial integration, notably through the development of payment infrastructures, the promotion of intra-African trade and support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Through this new operation, the central bank reiterated its determination to help preserve Tunisia’s macroeconomic balances, support national development priorities and deepen cooperation with African financial institutions in support of sustainable, inclusive and job-creating growth.
