The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Access Holdings Plc have signed a partnership agreement designed to expand trade finance, support enterprise growth, and improve African businesses’ access to regional and international markets. The deal was formalized on November 4, 2026, on the sidelines of the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) in Luanda, Angola.
The agreement is expected to strengthen the Access Group’s capacity to finance businesses, facilitate cross-border trade, and support sustainable economic growth across its operating markets. By reinforcing the Group’s capital base, the partnership will enable it to sustain and expand financing for trade activities that drive economic development across the continent.
The transaction forms part of Access Holdings’ broader capital-raising programme, which aims to attract development finance institutions and other investors to support its growth. The agreement was signed by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings; Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Regional Vice President for Africa; and Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc.
“Our partnership with IFC has always been anchored on a shared belief that strong African financial institutions are essential to Africa’s growth. This investment is a vote of confidence in the institution we have built and, in the direction, we are taking it,” said Aig-Imoukhuede.
Aig-Imoukhuede noted that having built scale across Africa, the Group’s current task is to convert that scale into value for financed businesses, facilitated trade, and served communities. He added that strengthening the capital base deepens the Group’s role as a bridge between Africa and global markets, allowing for the mobilization of more trade finance and investment for African enterprises.
Ethiopis Tafara emphasized that expanding access to trade finance is critical for helping African businesses grow, enter new markets, and create jobs. He stated that the partnership will help channel more financing to businesses across the continent, translating Africa’s entrepreneurial potential into greater economic opportunity. For IFC, the move aligns with its strategy of mobilizing private capital and working with financial institutions to improve access to finance and generate employment.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
