The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved two major credit facilities worth USD 50 million to boost financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and stimulate private-sector growth across West Africa.
A USD 40 million line of credit was granted to Vista Gui SA in Guinea to expand SME and Small and Medium Industry (SMI) financing and strengthen trade activities. The agreement was formalised on Monday, October 27, 2025.
Speaking during the ceremony, Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of EBID, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development through private-sector empowerment. “This facility underscores EBID’s resolve to expand access to finance for SMEs and SMIs, which are the backbone of our economies, employing the majority of the workforce while adding to the regional value chain.”
AccHe said, Vista Gui welcomed the partnership, pledging to deploy the funds transparently and efficiently to support SME growth, job creation, and trade facilitation.
On the same day, EBID signed a USD 10 million facility with Vista Bank Sierra Leone to expand SME and corporate lending, particularly targeting women and youth entrepreneurs in sectors such as agriculture and agribusiness.
Dr. Donkor noted, “By channeling long-term, affordable financing to the real economy, EBID and Vista Bank Sierra Leone are equipping businesses with the resources they need to scale operations, expand into regional markets, and improve livelihoods.”
Vista Bank Sierra Leone’s Managing Director, Mr. Pa Ousman Njie, reaffirmed the bank’s readiness to allocate the facility prudently to maximize development impact.
These new interventions follow EBID’s April 2025 support to The Gambia, where the Bank approved a USD 10 million loan to strengthen food and nutrition security.
Together, these actions highlight EBID’s growing role in empowering national financial institutions and driving sustainable economic transformation across the ECOWAS region.
