ECOWAS Bank Expands Regional Financing With €80m Facility For Agriculture, Energy, SMEs

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has expanded access to regional financing with an €80 million credit facility for Coris Holding SA to support agriculture, energy, food value chains and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across West Africa.

The financing agreement, signed in Lomé, Republic of Togo, aims to strengthen investment in productive sectors, enhance value creation, generate employment, and promote inclusive economic growth across the sub-region.

The agreement was signed by EBID president and chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, and the managing director of Coris Holding SA, Mr. Diakarya Ouattara, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions.

Under the arrangement, Coris Holding SA will deploy the funds through its banking subsidiaries to finance projects in agriculture, food production, energy and other productive sectors, while expanding credit access for businesses, SMEs and small and medium industries (SMIs).

The facility is expected to strengthen the refinancing and lending capacity of the Group’s banking network, enabling it to provide increased support for enterprises that drive economic activity and regional development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Donkor described the agreement as more than a financing transaction, saying it reflected the confidence of both institutions in African-led solutions to the continent’s development challenges.

He noted that the partnership would expand access to long-term financing for SMEs and productive sectors, while advancing regional integration, job creation and sustainable economic growth across West Africa.

According to him, strengthening private sector financing remains central to EBID’s mandate of driving economic transformation and improving livelihoods in the ECOWAS region.

Ouattara, in his remarks, said the agreement marked a significant milestone in Coris Holding’s strategy to deepen its contribution to financing West African economies.

He stated that the credit facility would enhance the capacity of the Group’s subsidiaries to provide greater financial support to businesses and other economic actors that create value and promote sustainable development across the region.

EBID said the transaction reinforces its role as a catalyst for private sector financing by mobilising resources for investments with strong economic and social impact.

The Bank added that the operation aligns with its Growth, Resilience and Optimisation (GRO) Strategy, which is designed to accelerate resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth through increased support for productive sectors and key economic actors driving regional integration.