A heightened push by European export credit agencies (ECAs) and development finance institutions is shifting the risk calculus for investors in African oil and gas, creating clearer pathways for capital ahead of next year’s Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris. Recent discussions across Brussels and other European capitals have focused on making export finance more competitive and better targeted – not only for traditional infrastructure, but also for complex energy and commodity projects.
Europe’s export finance ecosystem has long supported overseas energy investment but its focus is evolving. As part of broader debates around export-credit policy in 2025, the European Commission signaled interest in encouraging investment in overseas LNG projects through export finance tools – underscoring the link between energy security and strategic capital deployment.
Across Africa, new project milestones show how this support is translating into bankable deals. In Ivory Coast, the 50 MW Bondoukou solar project reached financial close with backing from Dutch and German development banks, blending risk cover with commercial lending. In Senegal and Mauritania, European lenders remain active around gas processing and LNG-linked infrastructure, while ECAs continue signaling appetite for midstream and port projects tied to regional trade. Together, these examples reflect a shift toward hands-on structuring by European financial institutions.
Momentum is also visible in East Africa, where private financing is backing new refining and petroleum infrastructure in Uganda, including up to $2 billion earmarked for a refinery and associated terminals tied to Lake Albert oil developments. The model underscores how non-sovereign capital is increasingly shaping Africa’s energy build-out.
Institutions such as France’s COFACE, the Netherlands’ FMO and Germany’s DEG have broadened their mandates, moving beyond purely concessional models toward blended and commercially viable structures. While a portion of this financing has gone to renewables and industrial projects, the same tools are increasingly applicable to oil, gas and midstream infrastructure, particularly where export potential is clear.
This evolution is arriving alongside regulatory reform and renewed exploration momentum. Angola has unlocked fresh investment through streamlined fiscal frameworks supporting players such as ExxonMobil and Azule Energy, while Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act continues to catalyze activity across oil and gas, reinforcing investor confidence.
For investors, expanded ECA and DFI participation reduces political and payment risk and improves bankability for large, capital-intensive energy projects. When paired with clearer upstream rules and licensing stability, more projects move from concept to execution.
These dynamics set the stage for IAE 2026 in Paris to become a focal point for financing conversations. Sessions on project structuring, fiscal frameworks and export-market strategies are expected to bring together sovereign entities, ECAs, DFIs and private capital – translating policy signals into deal frameworks.
European capital is increasingly looking outward, driven by both energy security considerations and opportunity in African hydrocarbons. By pairing export-credit tools with private investment and regional reform, investors have a clearer path into projects spanning upstream development, LNG, refining and cross-border logistics.
As African project pipelines expand – from LNG prospects to integrated infrastructure – forums like IAE provide a practical venue to align European finance with African energy priorities and convert interest into bankable deals.
IAE 2026 is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.invest-africa-energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com