The opportunity

The cost of capital advantage.

Sovereign and public-sector borrowers in West and Central Africa routinely face Eurobond yields of 12% per annum and above. Bilateral and syndicated sovereign facilities are often priced higher still once fees and hedging costs are factored in.

Frontier's capital network provides hard-currency facilities at indicative rates of reference rate + 150–350bps, subject to sovereign credit profile, tenor, and availability of credit enhancement. That spread, compounded over the life of a 10-year facility, represents a substantial saving against any regional alternative.

We structure in hard currency (EUR/USD) and can explore local-currency tranches where market conditions permit. All rates are confirmed at term sheet stage following credit assessment and credit committee approval.

Deal parameters

What we arrange.

Facility size
USD 10 million to USD 1 billion and above. Typical facility USD 50M+.
Instruments
Sovereign debt, SOE and sub-sovereign lending, project SPV financing, concessional loans, mezzanine, and equity.
Sectors
Infrastructure, energy, transport, agriculture, mining, housing, and health. General budget support considered selectively.
Geographies
WAEMU, CEMAC, and ECOWAS markets — Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal. Other African sovereigns case by case.
Tenure
Up to 10–15 years. Extensions and bullet maturities for infrastructure.
Grace period
Up to 2 years.
Indicative rate
Reference rate + 150–350bps (hard currency). Tightens with credit enhancement such as DFI guarantee or MIGA wrap.
Governing law
Typically English law with international arbitration (LCIA or ICC), or OHADA / local law as agreed.
The numbers

What this means for your state.

On a typical 10-year sovereign facility, the difference between a regional Eurobond at 10.50% and a Frontier-structured facility at reference rate + 200–300bps compounds to a substantial reduction in total debt service, often saving the borrower more than a third of total cost, even after all arrangement and advisory fees are included.

We prepare a detailed, transaction-specific cost comparison as part of every engagement, modelling your actual facility size, tenor, grace period, and credit enhancement structure against the best available regional alternative. This analysis is shared during the engagement phase so your Ministry of Finance can evaluate the economics before any commitment.

The spread advantage
Ref + 150–350bps
vs. regional benchmarks of 10–12%+ p.a.
Indicative savings analysis (tailored to your facility size, tenor, and credit profile) available on request.
Process

How it works.

Frontier manages the full financing process from pre-qualification through to disbursement. The typical timeline from mandate to first tranche is 10–16 weeks, depending on documentation readiness and the approvals required in your jurisdiction. Every stage produces a tangible deliverable. Frontier's fee is milestone-based and no payment is due until tangible work product has been delivered.

01
Pre-qualification & sovereign mandate
Mandate confirmation from Ministry of Finance or authorised delegate. Initial fiscal review.
1 week
02
Desk valuation & fiscal review
Debt sustainability analysis, revenue assessment, and preliminary credit positioning.
1–2 weeks
03
Pre-DD & documentation
Documentation coordination, sovereign support package structuring, and advisory engagement.
3–4 weeks
04
Site inspection & ministerial meetings
Physical inspection where required. Coordination with ministerial and technical counterparties.
1 week
05
Lender DD & term sheet
Credit committee presentation, investor due diligence, and delivery of approved term sheet.
2–3 weeks
06
Legal & sovereign support execution
Legal opinions, compliance clearances, and execution of sovereign guarantee or support package.
1–2 weeks
07
First tranche disbursement
Signing of definitive documents and disbursement of first tranche to the sovereign borrower.
40–50 days post-signing
See our full process and control architecture
Getting started

What we need from you.

Think of this as a readiness checklist, not a barrier to entry. Where documentation gaps exist, Frontier coordinates production with Big-4 advisory firms and specialist legal counsel.

To move a transaction forward, we require a signed mandate from the Ministry of Finance or authorised delegate, a project brief or term of reference describing the use of proceeds, access to fiscal accounts and documentation including the last three fiscal years of audited government accounts, and designated counterparties at the ministerial and technical levels.

For project-backed facilities, we also require a feasibility study (technical, financial, and economic), a financial model covering 10–15 years, and an environmental and social impact assessment where applicable.

Documentation support. Counterparties that do not yet have a full documentation set in place are not disqualified. Frontier coordinates production with Big-4 firms and specialist counsel. Clients should budget a minimum of EUR 150,000 equivalent as pass-through costs covering consultant fees, credit rating, legal opinions, and related advisory work. These are counterparty costs paid directly to named service providers, and not Frontier fees.

Begin the conversation.

Send your project teaser, development brief, or term of reference and we will revert within five business days.

funding@frontiercf.com

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