Dangote IPO fever could deepen Africa’s capital markets, Citi Bank executive says
The fervour around the initial public offering of Nigeria's Dangote mega-refinery could help deepen Africa's capital markets and unlock funding for everything from roads to ports, a senior Citi executive told Reuters.
Citi Bank's Akin Dawodu says the Dangote refinery's initial public offering could help deepen Africa's capital markets and unlock funding for infrastructure projects, Reuters reports. The $1.6 billion offering, targeting retail investors, aims to expand the refinery. Dawodu, Citi's head of banking for Sub-Saharan Africa, believes the IPO's success may encourage more Africans to invest through local stock exchanges.
He notes that low trust and liquidity have previously hindered African equity markets, but the Dangote IPO has rekindled public interest. While some question the refinery's valuation, expanding equity market participation could benefit Africa by mobilizing more resources for projects and reducing borrowing costs. Dawodu emphasizes the need for African issuers to access their capital more effectively, pointing to various options like domestic markets, export credit agencies, and concessional borrowing.
He also acknowledges that recent crises have improved African issuers' ability to navigate geopolitical risks, providing them with more borrowing options.
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