IFC and Standard Chartered unveil $300m facility for African businesses
The International Finance Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank have introduced a $300m risk-sharing facility to boost supply chain finance for businesses in eight African countries, including Nigeria. The initiative aims to support supply chain and trade finance transactions worth about $1.9bn, benefiting more than 500 suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The programme will target sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing, helping suppliers receive payments faster and improve cash flow. The facility is expected to empower businesses to expand production, pay workers, and invest in growth.
TLDR
- IFC will provide guarantees of up to $150m, with an initial commitment of $100m, to support transactions in US dollars and selected local currencies.
- The facility will cover up to $300m in supply chain and trade finance assets originated by Standard Chartered across Africa.
- Financing tools such as payables finance, receivables discounting, and pre-shipment finance will be deployed to improve access to working capital for smaller businesses.
- The initiative is projected to indirectly benefit over one million farmers through stronger value-chain linkages and improved access to finance.
- The global supply chain finance market reached an estimated $2.7tn in 2025, but access remains limited in many emerging and low-income economies.
