Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and Proparco have signed a major partnership to mobilise up to €300 million over the next three years to support agricultural value chains and women-led businesses across Africa.
The Memorandum of Understanding was announced on 11 May 2026 at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
This collaboration combines Ecobank’s extensive pan-African banking network with Proparco’s development finance expertise to address one of the continent’s most persistent challenges: limited access to affordable finance for agricultural SMEs and agro-industrial companies.
Key Components of the Partnership
The facility is structured to deliver targeted support through multiple instruments:
- Up to €100 million will target agricultural SMEs through Proparco’s Impact+ and ARIZ guarantee programmes, providing risk-sharing to encourage lending to smaller players.
- Up to €200 million will support agro-industrial and agro-commodity trading companies via partial risk guarantees and co-financing.
- Dedicated support for Ecobank’s Ellevate programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Kenya, including business and financial management training for 400 women entrepreneurs.
Launched in 2020, Ellevate has already supported approximately 84,000 women-led businesses across more than 30 African countries.
Strategic Significance
Agriculture contributes about 20% of Africa’s GDP and employs nearly half of its workforce, yet the sector remains severely underfinanced.
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Smallholder farmers and agri-SMEs often struggle with high perceived risk, lack of collateral, and limited access to structured finance.
This partnership aims to bridge that gap by:
- Improving credit availability and terms for agricultural businesses.
- Reducing risk for Ecobank through guarantees, enabling larger lending volumes.
- Promoting gender-responsive financing through the Ellevate programme.
- Enhancing value chain development from production to processing and trade.
Expected Impact
If successfully implemented, the €300 million facility could significantly improve access to finance for thousands of agricultural SMEs and women entrepreneurs.
It is expected to boost productivity, strengthen food security, create jobs, and support the formalisation of agricultural value chains across Ecobank’s 33 countries of operation.
The initiative also aligns with broader continental goals of sustainable agriculture, economic diversification, and inclusive growth.
Looking Ahead
The Ecobank–Proparco partnership has strong potential to improve access to finance for agricultural SMEs and women-led businesses across Africa.
By combining substantial capital, risk-sharing mechanisms, and targeted capacity building, the €300 million facility addresses critical barriers in one of the continent’s most important economic sectors.
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