Ecobank Launches $2.6 Billion Loan Initiative for Women

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) announced its initiative to create a $2.6 billion loan portfolio aimed at supporting women-owned businesses and agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by 2030. The initiative includes a target of $2 billion for women-led businesses and $600 million for agricultural SMEs.

This strategy is designed to combine financing with banking services, training, and digital tools to assist smaller enterprises in expanding. Ecobank has already supported over 110,000 women-led businesses and aims to reach 400,000 SMEs, while also providing banking services and training to nearly one million women micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on digital skills.

The financing will cover various sectors, including agribusiness and healthcare. Group Chief Executive Jeremy Awori stated that the strategy aims to transform African agriculture, emphasizing climate-resilient farming and digital rural payments.

The initiative follows a commitment made in May 2026 to provide $3 billion over three years for intra-African and global trade.