NCGC Launches GuaranteeHer for Women Entrepreneurs

The National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) has launched an initiative called GuaranteeHer, targeting over N100 billion in credit for female-led businesses, following a report indicating that only 16.8% of its first-year beneficiaries were women. The inaugural impact report, released in August 2026, revealed that out of 67,512 end-borrowers, only 11,374 were women-owned businesses.

NCGC provided N21.59 billion in risk cover, unlocking N46.95 billion in loans across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory. GuaranteeHer aims to increase risk coverage for eligible lending portfolios to 70%, with benefits expected to be passed on to women borrowers through lower interest rates and reduced collateral requirements.

The initiative will begin with a 12-month pilot deploying between N5 billion and N10 billion, targeting over 20,000 women-owned businesses and supporting approximately 150,000 jobs over five years. The launch was supported by Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele and Women Affairs Minister Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, with NCGC's Managing Director Dr Bonaventure Okhaimo emphasizing the potential of credit guarantees.