Pan-African banking group Ecobank plans to mobilize $2.6 billion by 2030 to expand financing for women entrepreneurs and agricultural value chains across Africa. The Lomé-based group announced the plan on September 24, 2026, during its 40th-anniversary celebrations.
Of the total, $2 billion will be allocated to women-led businesses through the Ellevate program. Ecobank says it has already supported more than 110,000 women-owned businesses and now aims to increase the number of formal women-led businesses it serves to 400,000 by 2030.
The initiative will also strengthen support for women microentrepreneurs through training in digital tools, business management and access to banking services. Ultimately, nearly 1 million women are expected to gain access to new financing opportunities and tailored financial services.
Financing the Entire Agricultural Value Chain
The remaining $600 million will go to agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises and other businesses across agricultural value chains. Ecobank plans to move beyond traditional seasonal agricultural financing and cover the entire chain, “from farm to table.”
The financing will target producers, aggregators, processors, logistics operators, traders and exporters. The bank aims to expand financing across different stages of the value chain while strengthening the resilience of African agriculture to climate change.
The initiative is also expected to increase the use of digital payments in rural areas and facilitate trade finance. Over time, Ecobank intends to help strengthen regional agricultural markets and support trade in African agricultural products.
Group CEO Jeremy Awori said the initiative reflects the bank’s commitment to the transformation of African agriculture. In July 2026, Ecobank listed its $450 million Nature Bond on the London Stock Exchange, describing it as the first bond of its kind issued by a commercial bank under the International Capital Market Association’s designation.
Financing and Market Access
Beyond lending, the initiative includes guarantee and risk-sharing mechanisms, digital payment and collection solutions, as well as training in management and leadership and support in accessing markets. These tools are intended to help small businesses enter the formal economy and improve their ability to access financial services.
Ecobank also plans to help businesses access regional markets through its Single Market Trade Hub platform. The goal is to better connect financing with production and access to markets, particularly within the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The announcement comes a few months after Ecobank unveiled a three-year, $3 billion commitment to finance intra-African and global trade. Announced in May 2026 at the Africa-Forward Summit in Nairobi, the initiative is intended to support African businesses and help them participate more fully in regional value chains.
Ecobank operates in 34 African countries and aims to expand its trade finance and digital payments offerings under its Growth, Transformation and Returns strategy, which focuses in part on risk management and the development of cross-border operations.
Esaïe Edoh