A major breakthrough for African finance on the international stage. Cameroonian René Awambeng, founder of Premier Investment Partners, with more than USD 300 billion in transactions supervised during his career, has just obtained a licence from the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Authority, allowing his company to operate as an investment manager within the prestigious ADGM financial centre. This is a first for an African financial player in Abu Dhabi’s prestigious financial centre.
With over 30 years of experience in international finance and transactions estimated at over £300 billion to his credit, René Awambeng now intends to connect global financing to Africa’s strategic needs. Premier Investment Partners Limited (PIPL), a subsidiary of the Premier Invest Group, is now authorised to advise on investments, manage funds and organise complex financial transactions. This licence, obtained on 20 August 2025, paves the way for better financing structures in key sectors such as energy, food security, infrastructure and intra-African trade.
I believe that trade information, financial infrastructure and architecture of linking the banks, transformation of our soft commodities, hospitality, are very quick wins on the table which will help to grow intrafrican trade.
René Awambeng, Founder, Premier Invest Partners
For investors and economists, beyond the administrative achievement, this is a strong signal that African talent can compete internationally while complying with global standards of transparency and governance. For his part, René Awambeng, Senior Executive Officer of PIPL, emphasises the importance of this step: ‘The FSRA’s approval paves the way for structuring thematic funds aligned with African priorities in trade finance, infrastructure, food security and energy security.
That financial architecture , that financial infrastructure is fundamental for any business to be done because people want to know how they get paid and how their money is secured. So we must build that financial infrastructure.
René Awambeng, Founder, Premier Invest Partners
The Abu Dhabi-based holding company also plans to launch a bank and a commodities trading office in the coming months. René Awambeng thus demonstrates that, with rigour and vision, Africa can occupy prominent positions in the major spheres of global finance.
