Poland’s state-owned development bank, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), has launched a $1.1 billion program aimed at empowering Polish companies to expand into African markets and strengthen trade ties with the fast-growing continent.
The initiative, which is part of BGK’s strategy to 2030, seeks to boost Poland’s economic footprint in Africa, a region that currently accounts for only about 1.2 percent of Polish exports. The bank has already financed a $70 million railway project in Tanzania, signaling growing interest in the continent’s infrastructure and industrial sectors.
Under the new program, BGK will allocate a total of $3 billion to support export financing, with over half $1.1 billion, earmarked specifically for African markets. The initiative targets both large enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), offering financial tools and partnerships to help them navigate emerging African economies.
Currently, among the 89 markets where Poland’s development bank supports national businesses, 17 are in Africa. BGK hopes that this expanded financing will encourage more Polish firms to explore opportunities in sectors such as energy, construction, manufacturing, and technology across the continent.
Meanwhile, the Polish government is positioning the move as part of a broader effort to diversify the country’s trade relations and stimulate global competitiveness.
However, the announcement coincides with political controversy at home. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has faced backlash after comments suggesting that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) may need reform to allow member states greater flexibility in deporting convicted criminals.
While human rights groups criticised his remarks, the government later clarified that there are no plans for Poland to withdraw from the ECHR, stressing that Tusk’s comments were made in response to questions about migration policies in Europe.
Still, the new BGK initiative represents a significant shift in Poland’s foreign economic strategy, one that aligns with the country’s growing ambition to engage more deeply with emerging markets, particularly in Africa.
