About
Established in 2007 by the European Commission and several EU Member States, the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund (EU-AITF) provides grant support for infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa with the aim of reducing poverty and fostering economic growth in the region. The EU-AITF consists of two envelopes: Regional Envelope, a €483 million envelope dedicated to cross-border and national infrastructure projects in energy, transport, water and ICT; and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL), a €330 million envelope that supports renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in line with the UN’s SE4ALL initiative. The EIB is responsible for the financial management of the trust fund and hosts its Secretariat.
At a glance
EU-AITF contributors are making a difference to infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Donor funds pledged
Donor financing approved
Operations
Total investments supported
Our donors
EU-AITF operations are financed by 14 donors:
Expected impact
943,000 households in sub-Saharan Africa benefitting from electricity
Building digital connections with some 12,000 kilometres of internet cables installed
Safe drinking water for some 362,000 households in the region
Sustainable Development Goals
Donor-financed operations through our trust funds make a direct contribution to several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our collective actions unlock billions of euros in investment to combat climate change, eradicate poverty and fight inequality. These are some of the global goals targeted by our trust fund.
Donor-funded instruments
The EIB uses donor funds to enhance the development impact of investment projects. The EU-AITF provides four types of grant support: technical assistance, investment grants, interest rate subsidies and financial instruments.
Geographical scope
Countries eligible for EU-AITF funding:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Key publications
Trust funds in action
Resources for development finance are limited. Find out how EIB Global works with 12 trust funds to increase amounts available, support a wide variety of projects and make a positive impact.
EU-AITF overview
This flyer provides an overview of the trust fund's activities in 2023.