Ecobank and Proparco today announce a new stage in their decade-long partnership, built on a shared ambition to strengthen Africa’s private sector and financial ecosystem to boost support for agriculture and women entrepreneurs.
Since 2012, Proparco has supported Ecobank through a wide range of instruments, including over USD400 million in senior loans, landmark capital market transactions, trade finance guarantees and SME dedicated risk sharing mechanisms across multiple African markets.
The abiding objective of Proparco’s partnership with Ecobank has always been to enable the latter to scale up its impact-driven ambitions and deliver a tangible impact for businesses and the communities they serve across the continent.
This renewed partnership reflects a shared commitment to deliver scalable, high-impact financing solutions across the continent, leveraging Ecobank’s unique pan-African footprint and Proparco’s capacity to mobilise diversified financial tools in support of sustainable and inclusive growth.
Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, said “Africa’s growth requires execution at scale. Through this expanded partnership with Proparco, we are mobilising EUR 300 million and directing it into agricultural value chains and women businesses supported by our Ellevate programme. This is capital at work in the real economy, financing food, livelihoods and local value creation.”
Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of Proparco, added: “Agriculture is at the heart of Africa’s future, yet it remains one of its most underfinanced sectors. By deepening our partnership with Ecobank, we are combining our strengths to unlock concrete, large-scale solutions across the entire agricultural value chain. This agreement reflects Proparco’s commitment to supporting transformative private sector initiatives that strengthen food security, build resilience and reduce inequalities, including gender inequalities, in line with our 2023–2027 strategy.”
Global crises and rising agricultural pressures
Ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, rising energy prices, higher input costs, particularly fertilizers, and global supply chain disruptions are further straining food systems, with sustained high prices potentially driving tens of millions into acute food insecurity in East and West Africa. Against this backdrop, scaling agricultural finance is both an economic and strategic imperative.
As food security pressures intensify across Africa and agricultural finance remains structurally insufficient, despite the sector accounting for around 20% of GDP and nearly half of employment, Proparco and Ecobank are joining forces to scale up targeted solutions across the agricultural value chain.
Through this MoU, the two partners aim to catalyse up to EUR 300 million over three years, addressing critical gaps across agricultural production, processing and trade.
Supporting agricultural SMEs across Africa
Access to finance remains a major constraint for agricultural SMEs. To address this, Proparco will deploy partial portfolio guarantees, notably through its Impact+ and ARIZ programs, to reduce Ecobank’s risk exposure on its agri-SME lending activities.
This mechanism will enable Ecobank to significantly scale up its financing to agricultural SMEs across 33 African countries, with a joint objective of mobilising up to EUR 100 million over three years.
Scaling up agro-industrial investment
To tackle the structural lack of long-term financing in agro-processing, Proparco and Ecobank will collaborate on direct co-financing and risk participation structures.
This partnership will support agro-industrial companies across key value chains, including staple crops and cash crops, enabling both long-term investment and working capital financing.
Boosting agricultural commodity trade finance
Recognising the critical role of trade finance in ensuring food availability and supporting rural incomes, Proparco will provide a partial risk guarantee to enhance Ecobank’s lending to agricultural commodity traders.
Through dedicated facilities, the partnership aims to expand liquidity for key agricultural commodities, with a targeted mobilisation of up to EUR 200 million across agro-industrials and agro-commodities trading companies.
