Ecobank Group caps its 40th anniversary year with landmark USD2.6 billion commitment to scale women-led enterprises and agribusinesses across Africa
Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group, today announced a combined USD 2.6 billion targeted lending commitment by 2030 to fuel two of Africa's most strategic economic growth engines: women-owned businesses and agricultural value chains. The landmark announcements were unveiled during the Ecobank@40 Media Conference in Lomé, marking the strategic culmination and official conclusion of the Group's 40th anniversary year.
As the Group brings its milestone anniversary year to a close, it is leveraging this momentum to launch its next phase of growth, economic transformation, and sustainable impact across its 34 African markets.
"We are using the conclusion of our 40th anniversary as a strategic launchpad for Africa's next economic chapter," said Jeremy Awori, CEO of Ecobank Group. "Africa cannot industrialise by financing harvests alone, nor can it achieve its full potential while women face structural capital gaps. By committing USD 2.0 billion to women entrepreneurs and USD 600 million to agricultural value chains, we are turning gender-smart financing and food sovereignty into the primary engines of African growth."
Under its flagship program, Ellevate by Ecobank, the Group commits to building an outstanding loan portfolio of USD 2.0 billion dedicated to women entrepreneurs by 2030. Building on over 110,000 women-led enterprises already supported, Ecobank will scale its registered client base to 400,000 formal businesses. By expanding digital onboarding and financial inclusion initiatives, the strategy will unlock funding pathways for up to 1 million female micro-entrepreneurs across the continent.
Originally published by African Business.