$450 Million intended to be swapped by Gabon in anxiety to be Africa’s First Debt-For Nature for an Eco-Friendly Blue Bond

By Abdul Rahman Bangura-

Photo Credit: Pixnio

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone– July 25th, 2023 denoted the outset of what is predicted to be Africa’s first debt-for-nature swap, with Gabon announcing schedules to purchase up at least $450 million of its public debt and barter it for an eco-friendly blue bond.

Calculations spotting it at near to a third of the whole world’s population of susceptible species, Gaspotaches and coastal waters are home to the number of leatherback turtles.

Debt-for-nature swaps, at their most basic level, comprise a bank or specialized investor buying a nation’s debt and marketing it for cheaper debt, periodically with the subsidy of a multilateral development bank “credit guarantee” or “risk insurance.” The money saved will go toward funding environmental protection. This notion has been lauded till 2031 Notes” in a regulatory filing on the London Stock Exchange. This directed to a profit of up to 2.2% on the dollar for the three Eurobonds it mentioned.

Correlated to the Gabonese administration’s commitment to purchase back the bonds for 85 cents for every $1 of the bond, the February 2031 maturity increased by 2.203 cents to 83.702 cents, and the November 2031 maturity increased by 2.129 cents to 83.573 cents. The 2025 maturity increased by 1.194 cents to 95.4 cents, which is still less than the 96.75 cent offer price.

The consensus has been foretold for a while. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), as it has in earlier pacts in Ecuador and Belize, would give political risk insurance, according to news reports.

In May, Ecuador successfully finalized a record-breaking $1.1 billion debt-for-nature exchange, publishing $18 million each year for the following 20 years for Galapagos Islands conservation. According to bankers, a number of other African countries are similarly committed in debt-for-nature negotiations, as are Sri Lanka and a number of Caribbean and Indian Ocean islands.

Credit stakes are something that both the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are interested in. Bargains extending many not probably be forthcoming in this quickly thriving asset class.

For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent