FMO, FCMB, EU Sign $25m Deal To Assist Excluded SMEs

The Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO) and Nigeria’s First City Monument Bank (FCMB) have signed a $25 million NASIRA guarantee agreement to enable FCMB expand its funding to agricultural, youth, and women-owned SMEs without requiring collateral, targeting a client group typically deemed too risky by banks.

According to a statement issued by FMO, the agreement was signed at the side-lines of the 9th Nigeria EU Business Forum in Abuja on Tuesday.  This project, funded by the European Commission, NASIRA is one of FMO’s most innovative programs, encouraging local banks to extend their funding to small entrepreneurs without collateral.

The statement said that often, the FMO guarantee – that effectively replaces the collateral – is not fully utilised, demonstrating that these entrepreneurs, primarily women and young people, are not riskier than others.

“Job creation in Nigeria, home to 220 million people and the largest population in Africa is critical. The country faces severe economic challenges, including high unemployment and a significant 70 per cent depreciation of its currency over the past year. Providing small loans to typically high-risk groups will enable them to start and expand their businesses, offering a means of income for themselves and their families.

“In addition to the USD 25 million NASIRA guarantee, FMO will support FCMB with a syndicated loan of USD 60 million: USD 20 million through FMO, USD 30 million through the European Financing Platform on behalf of BIO, DEG, EIB, FINNFUND, Proparco, and SWEDFUND, and USD 10 million through FMO Investment Management. The loan is dedicated to growing the existing FCMB loan portfolio of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs), the statement said.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the side-lines of the 9th Nigeria EU Business Forum, the deputy director general, Directorate of International Partnerships (INTPA), European Commission, Myriam Ferran, said: “We are very happy to see that the EU investment instruments, such as the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD+) guarantees, have come to Nigeria to play a catalytic role in leveraging private sector investments for the benefit of the real sector, economic diversification and employment creation, especially for youth and women.”

The transaction also contains a technical assistance (TA) program. Through this TA initiative, FCMB and FMO will select and support 15 scalable early-stage agri-tech businesses in Nigeria. Together, FMO and FCMB will identify 15 disruptive business models that address pressing problems in the agricultural sector, contributing to SDG2: zero hunger and food security, the statement said.