Afreximbank commits $75m facility for SME financing

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed a US$75 million finance facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand access to finance for Nigerian small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises, including those in the creative economy.

DBN will channel the funds through its partner financial institutions to support eligible small businesses. The facility is intended to cover working capital, asset acquisition, pre-export and post-export activities, and supply-chain financing. Businesses in fashion, film, music, design and other creative industries are among the targeted beneficiaries.

The commitment was announced during the ceremonial signing at CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos. Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, and Dr Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DBN, signed the agreements on behalf of their institutions.

The facility forms part of Afreximbank’s Export SME Development programme.

In addition to financing, it will include capacity-building and export-readiness support to help participating SMEs strengthen their operations and access regional and international markets. Afreximbank and DBN will also jointly develop training for participating financial institutions to improve their ability to serve export-oriented SMEs. Afreximbank will further provide access to its trade platforms—MANSA, TRADAR, PAPSS and ATEX—and market-access support through the Africa Buyer Programme, the African Trade and Distribution Company, and the Intra-African Trade Fair.

“Our partnership with DBN goes beyond providing capital. We are taking an integrated approach that combines finance with capacity building, export-readiness support and access to markets,” Mrs Awani said. “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 added that the combination of finance and practical support would help businesses prepare for export markets and connect with buyers across Africa and beyond. For creative enterprises, she said, the initiative advances CANEX’s aim of turning African talent and ideas into sustainable businesses that can compete internationally.

Dr Okpanachi described the partnership as an important step in DBN’s efforts to expand financing for Nigerian micro, small and medium enterprises. “The US$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,” he said.

He emphasised that the capacity-building and market-access elements were especially significant, enabling MSMEs to move from local operations into regional and global value chains in line with DBN’s mandate to address financing constraints and support inclusive economic growth.

CANEX, Afreximbank’s flagship programme for Africa’s creative and cultural industries, supports the development of commercially viable, export-ready creative businesses. CANEX WKND 2026 ran from 5 to 8 November at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Cultural & Creative Arts in Lagos. Organised by Afreximbank and hosted by the Government of Nigeria in partnership with the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the event brought together creatives, investors, buyers and policymakers from Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora.