The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its inaugural investment in Nigeria—and its first in sub-Saharan Africa’s financial sector—by providing a $100 million (€85 million) trade finance facility to Access Bank.
The facility, provided under the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), aims to support Access Bank’s trade finance operations, diversify its correspondent banking relationships, and strengthen trade links between Nigeria and other EBRD-operating countries. The trade finance limit will be used to issue guarantees for foreign commercial banks and provide cash advances for trade-related loans to local companies, covering pre-export, post-import, and domestic distribution activities. It is also expected to boost intra-regional trade.
Beyond funding, the transaction includes a comprehensive EBRD-funded technical cooperation package, which offers regular training, workshops, e-learning programmes, and wider capacity-building support to enhance Access Bank’s trade finance capabilities.
EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso described the deal as a milestone for the bank’s engagement in Nigeria, noting that the institution remains committed to strengthening local financial systems and promoting sustainable private-sector growth through trade finance. Access Bank Managing Director Roosevelt Ogbonna said the partnership would deepen Africa’s trade ecosystem, enhance regional integration and align with the bank’s strategy of delivering innovative financial solutions that support long-term economic growth.
Access Bank operates more than 700 branches and service outlets, serving over 60 million customers across 24 markets on three continents, and is a subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, Nigeria’s largest listed financial holding company.
The EBRD’s move into sub-Saharan Africa came after its Board of Governors amended the bank’s founding agreement in Samarkand in 2023. The lender officially commenced operations in Nigeria in September 2025, focusing on private-sector-led growth, enhanced access to finance, and sustainable economic transformation.
