The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its first investment in Nigeria—and its first in the sub-Saharan African financial sector—by extending a $100 million (€85 million) trade finance facility to Access Bank.
The facility, provided under the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), is designed to support Access Bank’s trade finance operations, diversify its correspondent banking relationships, and strengthen trade links between Nigeria and other EBRD countries of operation. The trade finance limit will be used to issue guarantees in favour of 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 support intra-regional trade.
In addition to funding, the transaction includes a comprehensive EBRD-funded technical cooperation package, offering regular training, workshops, e-learning programmes and broader 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 expansion into sub-Saharan Africa followed a 2023 decision by its Board of Governors in Samarkand to amend the bank’s founding agreement. The lender formally began operations in Nigeria in September 2025, with a focus on private-sector-led growth, improved access to finance and sustainable economic transformation.
