In Summary: The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has approved and activated a US$28 million financing facility for Uganda-based DOTT Services Limited to support engineering and infrastructure projects worth more than US$550 million across four African countries.
Cairo, Egypt — The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has approved and activated a US$28 million financing facility for Uganda-based engineering and construction company DOTT Services Limited to support the execution of infrastructure projects worth more than US$550 million across Africa.
The dual-tranche facility, for which disbursements have commenced, is intended to strengthen the company’s capacity to undertake engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
The financing has been extended under Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, a programme designed to help African engineering and construction companies secure and execute large-scale infrastructure projects across the continent.
According to the bank, the facility will support DOTT Services in implementing existing contracts and pursuing near-term business opportunities estimated at approximately US$550 million across the four countries.
Commenting on the financing, Humphrey Nwugo, Afreximbank’s Director of Regional Operations at its Eastern Africa office, said the transaction reflects the bank’s commitment to developing African contractors capable of delivering infrastructure needed for industrialisation, trade and economic integration.
“This facility reflects Afreximbank’s commitment to building strong African EPC champions capable of delivering the infrastructure that underpins Africa’s industrialisation, trade and economic integration. By supporting DOTT Services Ltd, a well-established regional contractor with operations across five African countries, we are addressing a critical financing gap that has historically constrained the ability of African firms to participate meaningfully in large-scale, cross-border infrastructure projects,” Nwugo said.
He said the financing would strengthen DOTT Services’ ability to execute strategic projects, facilitate trade in goods and services between African countries and reinforce regional value chains.
The initiative, he added, seeks to increase African participation in the development and delivery of infrastructure by ensuring that more expertise, employment opportunities and economic benefits remain within the continent.
Nwugo also pointed to financing challenges faced by African engineering and construction firms, saying many local commercial banks lacked the capacity to support cross-border projects because of the associated risks, while international banks often prioritised non-African contractors.
As a result, he said, African companies had struggled to secure adequate financing to compete for major infrastructure contracts.
“Afreximbank’s EPC Initiative was therefore designed to address this challenge by supporting African EPC contractors in securing and executing a greater share of infrastructure contracts across the continent. Through the initiative, the Bank provides support, including financing, twinning and matchmaking, as well as issuing letters of support, among others,” he explained.
DOTT Services has operated in Africa for 28 years, with a presence in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Zambia and DR Congo. The company also maintains European offices in Italy and the United Kingdom and employs more than 6,000 people, according to the announcement.
Its business activities include sourcing and distributing construction materials and equipment such as bitumen, asphalt, steel, spare parts and heavy machinery across African markets.
Afreximbank said the company’s involvement in trade-supporting infrastructure and cross-border commerce makes it a suitable partner for the EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, which seeks to build the capacity of African contractors to deliver projects that facilitate intra-African trade.
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