The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has dedicated a $75 million finance facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to increase entry to finance for Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), together with eligible companies within the creative economic system.
The facility was introduced throughout CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos, reflecting the occasion’s focus on linking creative enterprises with finance, funding and markets, Afreximbank mentioned in a joint assertion with DBN on Wednesday.
Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, IntraAfrican Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, and Tony Okpanachi, CEO of DBN, led the ceremonial signing on behalf of their establishments.
Ms Awani mentioned the collaboration with DBN extends past offering capital, noting that Afreximbank is taking an built-in method that mixes finance with capability constructing, export-readiness help and entry to markets.
“Our objective is to help Nigerian SMEs build productive capacity, strengthen their competitiveness and make the transition from promising local businesses to sustainable exporters,” she mentioned.
Ms Awani mentioned the financial institution will staff up with taking part monetary establishments to strengthen their capability to know finance higher and help SMEs all through their development journey.
According to her, combining finance with sensible help will assist companies put together for export markets and join with consumers throughout Africa and past.
“For creative enterprises, that advances CANEX’s ambition to turn African talent and ideas into sustainable businesses that can compete internationally,” she mentioned.
Mr Okpanachi mentioned the partnership combines DBN’s wholesale lending community with Afreximbank’s commerce finance experience, capability constructing and market entry help, strengthening native monetary establishments’ capability to serve export-oriented SMEs.
According to him, the partnership with Afreximbank reveals one other important step in DBN’s dedication to increasing entry to finance for Nigerian MSMEs and enabling them to construct resilient, aggressive and sustainable companies.
“The $75 million facility will provide much-needed financing through our Participating Financial Institutions, while creating greater opportunities for businesses, particularly those in the creative and export-oriented sectors, to strengthen their productive capacity and access new markets,” Mr Okpanachi mentioned.
Beyond financing, the DBN chief govt mentioned the partnership’s capacity-building and market-access elements are notably necessary to stakeholders.
By strengthening monetary establishments’ capability to help export-ready companies and connecting Nigerian enterprises to wider African and worldwide markets, the DBN CEO mentioned the event financial institution helps MSMEs advance from native companies to aggressive members in regional and world worth chains.
“This aligns strongly with DBN’s mandate to address financing constraints and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria”, Mr Okpanachi added.
DBN will route the mortgage by way of its partner monetary establishments to fund eligible small companies.
The facility will help working capital, asset acquisition, pre-export, post-export, and provide chain actions, with companies in vogue, movie, music, design, and the broader creative industries among the many meant beneficiaries.
It can even equip beneficiaries with the abilities, instruments, and market data wanted to develop their companies, turn out to be export-ready, and entry regional and worldwide markets.
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Alongside the financing, Afreximbank and DBN will collectively develop a capacity-building programme to strengthen PFIs’ capability to help export-oriented SMEs.
Afreximbank plans to additionally present entry to its commerce platforms, together with MANSA, TRADAR, PAPSS and ATEX, and help market entry by way of the Africa Buyer Programme, ATDC and the Intra-African Trade Fair.
Afreximbank, a Pan-African multilateral monetary establishment, is remitted to finance and promote intra- and extra-African commerce.
Working with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the AU, the financial institution has arrange a $10 billion Adjustment Fund to help nations that take part successfully within the AfCFTA.
At the top of December 2025, Afreximbank’s whole property and contingencies stood at over $48.5 billion, whereas its shareholder funds totalled $8.4 billion.
DBN is a wholesale improvement finance establishment established to handle the main financing constraints MSMEs face in Nigeria.
DBN offers long-term financing and risk-sharing help by way of eligible taking part monetary establishments, enabling them to increase applicable, sustainable financing to MSMEs throughout key sectors of the Nigerian economic system.
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