A.P. Moller Capital, Olam, AFC invest in West African port infrastructure

January 30, 2020: AP Moller Capital has partnered with Olam International and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to invest in port and logistics infrastructure in West Africa. The investment will see AP Moller pick 43 percent ownership of the platform, and infrastructure ecosystem of ports, trucking, warehouses, and rail services.

Olam will own 31 percent and AFC 26 percent of the platform.

AP Moller will provide significant investment in a West African ports and logistics platform via the Africa Infrastructure Fund. The platform is managed by ARISE Ports & Logistics, based in the UK.

Kim Fejfer, managing partner and CEO of A.P. Moller Capital will be appointed chairman of ARISE.

At the outset, the focus will be on investing in and expanding the ecosystem in connection with an existing mineral and a general cargo port in Gabon as well as developing new infrastructure ecosystems in Mauritania, starting with a new multi-cargo port in Nouakchott, and a new modern bulk port in San Pedro, Ivory Coast.

Fejfer said, “Investing in local infrastructure ecosystems of ports, trucking, warehouses, and rails is investing in local prosperity. It creates jobs and opportunities in a region which is deeply dependent on investments and development.”

ARISE Ports & Logistics will be a large shareholder in each ecosystem and will in most cases have other co-investors. In the mineral port, the general cargo port and the adjacent ecosystem in Gabon, one of the co-investors is the country’s public development institution, CDC Gabon.