On Thursday 12 last September, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced that it wanted to invest the equivalent of $10 million in local currency to guarantee 50%, a $20 million loan portfolio issued by Access Bank Ghana to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Access Bank Ghana claims to have supported over 170,000 Ghanaian SMEs to date. It plans to triple its SME loan portfolio to $60 million by 2028. To this end, the bank will expand its portfolio to key sectors of the economy (agriculture, health, education, environment, etc.), which remain poorly served by financial institutions. The guarantee is intended to cover Access Bank Ghana's lending operations against the risk of currency fluctuations. For IFC, this transaction will contribute to addressing one of the critical challenges, that of financing, faced by SMEs in Ghana, by demonstrating their commercial viability and promoting their competitiveness. Olumide Olatunji, managing director of Access Bank Ghana says the partnership with IFC is an important step in improving financial access for these businesses, while giving them the financial boost they need to thrive and contribute significantly to the country's economy