Liberia: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced a US$21.1m financing package for Fouta Cement, Liberia's second-largest cement supplier. The IFC said the move is to help increase local manufacturing and infrastructure development in Liberia and reduce the country's reliance on imported construction materials.
The financing package will help Fouta Cement to build and operate a 0.35Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Monrovia, the Liberian capital. The financing package consists of a loan of up to US$5.4m from IFC's own account, a US$10.8m loan from the International Development Association's Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility (IDA PSW BFF), and a loan of up to US$5m to be mobilised from Bank of Africa United Kingdom.

“IFC's partnership with Fouta Cement comes at a critical time for Liberia as it recovers from the economic effects of Covid-19 and seeks to meet the longstanding infrastructure needs of the country,” said Sérgio Pimenta, IFC's Vice President for Africa. “The investment is also IFC's largest in Liberia in recent years and is a strong show of support for the country's private sector and growth.”