DEAP Capital Forges Strategic Alliance to Finance Africa’s Mineral Sector
DEAP Capital Management & Trust Plc has announced the execution of a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Banklink Africa’s Equity Fund II. This partnership establishes a dedicated framework for a Minerals and Metals Financing initiative designed to operate across diverse African markets. The agreement marks a strategic pivot for DEAP Capital, positioning it to function as a specialized investment banking boutique focused on mobilizing capital for resource projects.
The scope of the collaboration is broad, covering projects linked to critical areas such as digitization, energy transition, industrial manufacturing, and advanced technologies. Dr. Israel Ovirih, Chairman of Banklink Africa, emphasized that the MoU is structured to bolster DEAP Capital’s operational alignment and governance while creating a robust platform for project execution. He further noted the potential for the partnership to unlock new opportunities for African businesses in the metals and minerals sector to attract global investment, a development that could significantly impact the top 10 African resource economies.
From DEAP Capital’s perspective, CEO Anthony Adigwe highlighted the expected benefits of enhanced shareholder value and institutional capacity building. The initiative aims to contribute to the development of sustainable, bankable mineral projects continent-wide. The company indicated that ongoing strategic discussions may progress to binding agreements in the near term.
The market responded positively to the announcement, with DEAP Capital’s shares trading at N3.63 on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), reflecting a 10% mid-session gain. This follows a similarly strong performance in the previous session. Notably, the company recorded a 61.02% return in 2025, and its year-to-date gains for January 2026 have already surpassed its full-year performance from the prior year. However, its audited statement for the year ended September 2025, published in December, reported a pre-tax loss of N28.8 million.
As a Nigeria-based fund management company with operations in capital markets, mortgage banking, and oil & gas, DEAP Capital’s core services include fund and portfolio management, financial advisory, and issuing house functions. The MoU with Banklink Africa’s Private Equity Fund II is squarely aimed at expanding these operations to provide dedicated financing and advisory services for minerals and metals projects, a sector as critical to economic development as the strategies employed by the world’s top auto brands are to technological advancement. This move occurs within a complex African business landscape, where news cycles can rapidly shift from financial partnerships to unrelated incidents, such as a reported tenant stabs landlord dispute, or to policy developments like efforts by agencies such as the Nsitf expand its mandate. The focus for DEAP Capital, however, remains on strategic growth, distinct from the political dynamics seen in events like an Anambra poll: Awka residents might engage in.
