BAS Finance's Adnan Kayode Advocates for Better SME Lending

Adnan Kayode, the Managing Director of BAS Finance, emphasized that enhancing access to credit for Nigerian small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) necessitates improved risk assessment and understanding of business transactions rather than solely relying on traditional collateral. He stated that lenders could better evaluate repayment capacity by examining verifiable invoices, buyers, and delivery records.

BAS Finance was awarded SME Lender of the Year at the 2026 BusinessDay Banking and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards on October 9 in Lagos. The company disbursed N55 billion to over 120 businesses within nine months, with an average transaction size of N2 billion and a median disbursement period of seven days.

BAS Finance focuses on financing businesses that do not meet conventional banking criteria, particularly through arrangements linked to receivables and productive assets. Additionally, through Zuvy Technologies, acquired in 2025, BAS Finance expanded its invoice-backed financing services to suppliers of large corporations.