Access Bank Plc has secured a $100 million loan facility with a consortium of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) led by the German DFI DEG – Deutsche Investitions – to support privately-owned MSMEs, small corporates, and family-owned businesses across Nigeria.
Access Bank said the facility was secured to promote female entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in Nigeria.
30 per cent of the facility will be dedicated to gender lens investing in the spirit of the 2X Challenge, ensuring that women-owned and women-managed businesses are prioritised.
This initiative is crucial in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where supporting women entrepreneurs and MSMEs can drive job creation and contribute to reducing inequality, Access Bank said in a statement on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Speaking on the partnership, the Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna, said: “At Access Bank, we remain steadfast in our commitment to driving economic transformation and fostering inclusive growth across all the countries we operate.
“This partnership not only strengthens our ongoing efforts to empower women in business but also reinforces our support for Nigeria’s MSME sector, which plays a pivotal role in the country’s economic development.
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“Through strategic collaborations like this, we continue to enhance opportunities for underserved communities, and we look forward to building on this success to impact even more lives across Africa.”
This facility marks the fourth collaboration between DEG and Access Bank Group, but it is also the first time in their eight-year partnership that DEG’s has acted as the lead arranger.
The bank disclosed that DEG’s investment in the deal amounts to $25 million, saying this strengthens the long-term relationship between the two institutions.
Also speaking, the CEO of DEG, Roland Siller, stated: “This financing marks a major step in our ongoing commitment to supporting inclusive growth in Africa.
“By partnering with Access Bank, we are not just empowering women entrepreneurs and strengthening MSMEs but also investing in the future of Nigeria’s economy.”
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