British businesses are set to secure more than £330 million of export contracts to help deliver nine major infrastructure projects across Guinea and Benin, spanning education, clean water, electricity transmission and government infrastructure.
The contracts are being supported by £1.1 billion in financing and guarantees from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government’s export credit agency. The deals were announced as the fifth UK-West and Central Francophone Africa Trade and Investment Forum opened in Conakry, Guinea, bringing together British businesses and potential partners from across the region.
UKEF is providing £75 million to support a large-scale education infrastructure programme delivering new primary and secondary schools across four regions, improving access to education for thousands of children through modern classrooms, sanitation and related facilities, with the contract won by Planet One. A further £91 million will back the Guinea Regional Water Project, a multi-region programme expanding access to clean, potable water through new treatment and distribution infrastructure, delivered by UK-headquartered Aqua Africa.
UKEF is also providing £129 million towards the La Cotiere Conakry Transmission project in Guinea, part of a wider electricity network programme to improve power distribution around the country’s coastal region, with the contract secured by Elecnor and expected to create UK supply-chain opportunities in transmission equipment, grid technology and engineering services. In Benin, UKEF is providing finance of £82 million to help fund a new government administrative complex, consolidating public services within a modern urban development, with the contract awarded to ACC UK Group Ltd and opportunities for UK firms to contribute design, engineering, security systems and specialist building services.
The announcement comes as UK Export Finance increases its exposure capacity across West and Central Africa by £1.7 billion, creating more opportunity for British exporters. The move reflects a broader UK strategy to deepen trade ties with fast-growing West and Central African markets.
The contracts will support jobs and growth at home while delivering vital infrastructure overseas, including new schools, clean water infrastructure, electricity networks and government buildings. For Guinea and Benin, the projects represent significant investment in social and economic infrastructure that could improve access to education, water and power.
The deals underscore the growing importance of Africa as a market for UK exporters, particularly in infrastructure and development finance. UKEF’s support for these projects demonstrates how export credit agencies can play a role in mobilising private capital for African infrastructure.
For African countries, the partnerships offer access to British expertise and financing for critical infrastructure. The challenge now is to ensure that the projects deliver tangible benefits for local communities and contribute to long-term development.
Africa Presents is a Pan-African digital magazine and monthly publication covering politics, business, economy, culture, tech, and the stories shaping Africa and its diaspora. Visit africapresents.com and follow @AfricaPresents for daily coverage and monthly themed magazine editions.
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