Afreximbank Commits $75mln to Expand Export Financing for Nigerian SMEs

November 12, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed a 75 million US dollar financing facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand credit access for small and medium-sized enterprises, including businesses in the country's creative industries.

Under the arrangement, DBN will channel the financing through its network of participating financial institutions, which will provide loans to eligible businesses. The facility will cover working capital, equipment purchases, pre-export and post-export financing, and supply chain activities.

The arrangement combines wholesale lending with export development support, seeking to address financing constraints while helping smaller businesses prepare to participate in regional and international trade.

Unlike conventional SME lending facilities, the programme will also include capacity-building support for businesses and the financial institutions distributing the funds. Afreximbank and DBN will jointly develop training programmes to strengthen participating lenders' ability to assess and finance export-oriented businesses.

The facility is part of Afreximbank's Export SME Development programme and was announced during the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Businesses operating in fashion, film, music, design and other creative industries are among the intended beneficiaries, reflecting Afreximbank's efforts to develop commercially viable enterprises from Africa's cultural and creative sectors.

Afreximbank will also provide participating businesses with access to its trade infrastructure and market-access programmes, including the MANSA due diligence platform, TRADAR trade intelligence platform, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and African Trade Exchange (ATEX).

Additional support will be available through the Africa Buyer Programme, African Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), which connect businesses with buyers, distributors and potential commercial partners.

Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank's executive vice-president for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, said the partnership was designed to combine access to capital with the capabilities required to compete in export markets.

"Our partnership with DBN goes beyond providing capital. We are taking an integrated approach that combines finance with capacity building, export-readiness support and access to markets," she said.

DBN Managing Director and Chief Executive Tony Okpanachi said the facility would provide financing through participating financial institutions while helping businesses strengthen productive capacity and access new markets.

The partnership comes as African financial institutions seek to address the financing constraints facing smaller businesses, which often struggle to obtain the working capital and investment required to expand production and meet export-market requirements.

CANEX, Afreximbank's flagship initiative for the creative and cultural industries, seeks to develop commercially sustainable businesses through financing, skills development, market access and commercial partnerships.

Source: FSX Business News