On September 19 in Abidjan, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Bridge Bank Group Ivory Coast formalized a financing agreement totaling €30 million. This initiative, structured around several financial instruments, aims to strengthen the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the national economy and improve access to credit for companies led by women.
The agreement is based on three complementary components: a subordinated loan of €10 million to strengthen the capital base of Bridge Bank CI, a €10 million guarantee for international trade, and a €10 million portfolio guarantee specifically focused on companies led or owned by women. This combination of financial instruments aims to address the liquidity needs of SMEs, constraints related to import-export, and structural difficulties in accessing credit faced by female entrepreneurs.
According to AfDB representative Ahmed Attout, Director of the Financial Sector Development Department of the institution, SMEs represent a significant portion of the Ivorian economic fabric and play a driving role in national growth. The support provided will allow Bridge Bank CI to support investments in priority sectors such as agro-industry, industrial production, education, and health, while facilitating international trade operations. The operation also benefits from the support of the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Initiative, which could mobilize up to an additional €20 million in direct credits for female entrepreneurs, through products and banking services tailored to their needs.
For Ehouman Kassi, CEO of Bridge Bank Group, this agreement reflects the bank’s increasing role as a supporter of the Ivorian private sector. By strengthening its capacity to finance SMEs and support female entrepreneurship, the bank affirms its alignment with the priorities of the national development plan.
Ranked as the 10th bank in Ivory Coast and the 13th banking group in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) area, Bridge Bank Group is an Ivorian commercial bank that also operates in Senegal.
