The pan-African Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) platform is set to expand its operations to Togo and Guinea, with the goal of stimulating private sector financing in “frontier” economies that have traditionally been underserved by international capital flows.
Launched in 2021 by British International Investment (BII) and Dutch bank FMO, ARIA has already mobilized over $50 million in investments in countries such as Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Liberia over the past four years.
This expansion to Togo coincides with the addition of Proparco, the private sector subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD), to the platform. This strengthening of the platform is expected to enhance its capacity through an expansion phase focused on three key areas: geographical expansion, enhanced technical assistance, and a broader range of financing options.
“We are delighted to join the ARIA platform alongside FMO and BII. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to catalyzing private investment where it is most needed. Proparco is ready to play an active role in increasing investment in ARIA countries and helping build more resilient and dynamic economies,” said Françoise Lombard, Proparco’s Managing Director.
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For the Togolese private sector, this integration presents significant opportunities for raising capital. ARIA’s strategy involves identifying high-potential companies in sectors such as agribusiness, energy, and manufacturing, with financing needs ranging from $5 million to $20 million.
In its most recent report, ARIA estimated the financing needs expressed by 128 companies analyzed at $2 billion, with nearly half of these companies aiming to reduce imports or boost local exports.
