AFC to plant its first regional office in Nairobi

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced the opening of its first regional office on the continent, choosing Nairobi, Kenya, as the headquarters for its East African operations.

The announcement was made by AFC President and Chief Executive Officer Samaila Zubairu on the sidelines of The Africa We Build Summit 2026, drawing immediate attention from investors, development financiers, and government officials gathered in the Kenyan capital.

The establishment of the Nairobi office marks a strategic departure from AFC’s traditionally Lagos-centric operating model and reflects the corporation’s growing conviction that proximity to project sponsors, governments, and capital markets across East and Central Africa is essential to accelerating deal execution. Zubairu described the move as a direct response to the increasing volume and complexity of infrastructure opportunities emerging across the region.

Nairobi’s selection as the site of AFC’s inaugural regional office is widely seen as a vote of confidence in Kenya’s emergence as East Africa’s preeminent financial and logistical hub. The city hosts the regional headquarters of numerous multilateral institutions and development finance organisations, and offers direct connectivity to fast-growing markets across Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and the broader Great Lakes region.

The new office is expected to serve as a deal-origination and relationship management centre, enabling AFC to work more closely with national governments, project developers, and co-financiers on structuring bankable infrastructure projects in energy, transport, and industrial development. It also positions the corporation to play a more active role in mobilising domestic and regional capital — a key priority articulated at this year’s summit.

“To finance Africa’s infrastructure at the pace the continent demands, we must be where the projects are.” — Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation

The announcement adds institutional weight to AFC’s broader vision of infrastructure-led industrialisation across Africa and is expected to be followed by additional regional offices as the corporation scales its continental operations.