The ECOWAS Investment and Development Bank (BIDC) signed a $10 million credit line with Vista Bank Sierra Leone on Monday, October 27, 2025. This agreement aims to strengthen financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support local institutions, and promote female entrepreneurship and youth in the country.
During the signing ceremony, BIDC President Dr. George Agyekum Donkor emphasized the crucial role of SMEs in regional economic resilience and competitiveness. According to him, the development of a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in productive sectors such as agriculture and agro-industry, is essential to enhance food security, develop local value chains, and increase regional added value.
“By directing affordable and long-term financing to the real economy, BIDC and Vista Bank Sierra Leone provide businesses with the means to expand their activities, conquer new markets, and strengthen their revenues,” he stressed.
For his part, Pa Ousman Njie, Managing Director of Vista Bank Sierra Leone, assured of his institution’s full mobilization to effectively deploy this credit line. He emphasized a rigorous allocation, focused on high-potential sectors, to increase financial inclusion, stimulate the creation of local value, and generate sustainable economic dynamics.
This commitment is part of BIDC’s expansion strategy, which is multiplying financial partnerships to accelerate the socio-economic transformation of the ECOWAS region. The institution, based in Lomé, finances public and private projects in infrastructure, rural development, industry, and social services through loans, credit lines, equity investments, and refinancing mechanisms.
