Twenty small and medium-sized enterprises led by women in Côte d’Ivoire have obtained a total of 2.219 billion FCFA in financing thanks to the partnership between NSIA Bank Côte d’Ivoire and the AfDB’s AFAWA initiative.
The results of the program were reviewed during a mission organized in Abidjan from September 22 to 25, 2026, by AFAWA and the Financing Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs, with the participation of several partner financial institutions. Detailed information on the portfolio was made public in October.
Of the volume of loans granted, 1.109 billion FCFA is covered by the AFAWA guarantee, representing nearly half of the total amount. The financed companies operate notably in catering, transport, agro-industry, commerce, construction, services, education, and distribution.
According to the information presented to the partners, these competitions were used to purchase equipment, increase production capacity, diversify offerings, and access new markets. The beneficiaries also reported job creation and better structuring of their activities.
The delegation met with three entrepreneurs supported by the mechanism: Ariane Monney of Casa Èkwa, Yvette Yelematou Soro of Lemias Engineering, and Blandine Koffi of Poisson d’Afrique. The Deputy General Manager of NSIA Bank Côte d’Ivoire, Sékou Chérif Sanogo, stated that the bank intends to continue providing tailored financing solutions and close support.
The partnership runs from February 22, 2023, to February 22, 2029. At the African level, AFAWA estimates the financing gap faced by women entrepreneurs at 42 billion dollars, while the AfDB reports having approved more than 804 million dollars benefiting 3,500 women in 23 countries.
