IFC, Access Holdings partner to boost trade finance across Africa

.partnership targets businesses, cross-border trade, access to global markets By Udeme Akpan The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Access Holdings Plc have signed a partnership agreement to expand trade finance, support enterprise growth and improve African businesses’ access to regional and international markets.

The partnership is expected to strengthen Access Group’s capacity to finance businesses, facilitate cross-border trade and support sustainable economic growth across its markets. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS) 2026 in Luanda, Angola, on November 4, 2026, also forms part of Access Holdings’ broader capital-raising programme aimed at attracting development finance institutions and other investors to support its growth.

The agreement was signed by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman, Access Holdings; Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Regional Vice President for Africa; and Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc. Under the partnership, IFC’s investment is expected to reinforce the Group’s capital base, enabling it to sustain and expand financing for businesses and trade activities that drive economic growth across Africa.

Commenting on the transaction, Aig-Imoukhuede said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to strengthening African financial institutions and supporting the continent’s economic development. He said: “Our partnership with IFC has always been anchored on a shared belief that strong African financial institutions are essential to Africa’s growth.

This investment is a vote of confidence in the institution we have built and, in the direction, we are taking it. “Having built scale across Africa, our task now is to turn that scale into value: for the businesses we finance, the trade we facilitate and the communities we serve. “Strengthening Access Group’s capital base deepens its role as a bridge between Africa and global markets, enabling us to mobilise more trade finance and investment for African enterprises.” He added that the transaction was an important step in the Group’s efforts to attract long-term investment to support disciplined and sustainable growth.

Also speaking, Tafara said expanding access to trade finance was critical to helping African businesses grow, enter new markets and create jobs. He said: “Across the World Bank Group, we are working to mobilize private capital, strengthen financial markets and create the conditions for private sector-led growth. “This partnership with Access Group will help channel more financing to businesses across the continent and translate Africa’s entrepreneurial potential into greater economic opportunity.” For IFC, the partnership aligns with its strategy of mobilising private capital and working with financial institutions to improve access to finance, strengthen markets and create opportunities for businesses to expand and generate employment.