Banking and finance play a pivotal role in the broader economy and society of Africa. As African economies develop, there will be a growing need for innovative financial solutions and products to help spur this development, making comprehensive, detailed advice from a structured and coordinated team vital.
Cross-border services, client focus and digitalisation are more important than ever to regional players.
ALN’s established banking, finance and insolvency practice works on some of Africa’s most complex banking and financing transactions.
We represent Africa’s leading multinational lenders, financial institutions and corporations at every stage of the financing transaction; from origination, negotiation and documentation to closing. Clients depend on ALN for advice on day-to-day banking and finance issues, as well as for our leadership and guidance on complex, cross-border banking and finance transactions. We are actively involved in creating and developing sophisticated corporate lending structures and financial instruments.
Our teams advise the full array of stakeholders involved with financially distressed businesses, including debtors and issuers of both public and private securities, all types of creditors, equity holders, new investors, boards of directors, and senior management teams.
Principal Areas of Practice:
Representative transactions include advising:
In connection with its interest in Ethiopia’s financial leasing sector.
In connection with a USD 1.2 billion financing to the Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
In connection with their syndicated financing of USD 40 million to Sugar Corporation of Uganda for the construction of a 25MW co-generation power plant.
In connection with its provision of mezzanine finance of USD 100 million to Quantum Power International Holdings, a diversified company with interests in several growth industries, including structuring various security interests on the Quantum entities incorporated in Mauritius.
In connection with debt financing for the construction of a new international airport at Bugesera in Rwanda.
In connection with the Scaling Solar Project that aims to generate 500MW Solar Energy power in Ethiopia on an IPP basis.
In connection with the acquisition of a 13.8% stake in Britam Holdings, a Kenyan listed insurance and asset management group with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, South Sudan and Mozambique, from Plum.
In connection with its borrowing of USD 180 million from IFC, African Development Bank, KFW, Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries NV/SA, Equity Bank and FMO in order to finance the rehabilitation, improvement and completion of railway facilities.
In connection with two separate vendor financing arrangement that they had with Ethio-Telecom.
In connection with a EUR 1 billion term loan facility to the Bank of Industry (“BOI”), Nigeria. This was the largest loan that BOI has ever taken.
In connection with USD 115 million financing of the IPT Powertech Group in Lebanon, the Republic of Guinea and Nigeria.
In connection with the provision of USD 195 million multi-jurisdictional syndicated debt facility to the Smile Group of companies dealing with 4G LTE broadband networks, in Tanzania.
In connection with the acquisition of 62% of the shares of Banque Populaire du Rwanda and 100% of African Banking Corporation in Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, from Atlas Mara, a financial services company listed on the London Stock Exchange, through a share swap, and a subsequent merger of banking entities in Rwanda and Tanzania.
In connection with its expansion and upgrade program in Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea, including advising on the structure of the transaction; drafting and duplicating OHADA law security documents.
In connection with a pre-export forward sale transaction to finance the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron oilfield developments for the national gas-to-power programme.
In connection with three separate financing arrangements with the Government of Zambia for various projects undertaken by ZESCO, a state-owned power company in Zambia.
In connection with a USD 100 million development finance to Zesco, a public power utility in Zambia.
In connection with its financing of two Solar Power Stations in Eastern Uganda, under the GETFiT programme.
As agent, bookrunner and initial mandated lead arranger in connection with USD 400 million term loan facility to the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank.