Zedvance to triple lending after disbursing N120bn to SMEs in 2025

…eyes N1trn loan book by 2027

Zedvance Finance Limited, a Nigerian non-bank financial platform, says it plans to scale annual loan disbursement to about N1 trillion by 2027 as it expands financing for small businesses and consumers amid persistent credit shortages in Africa’s most populous nation.

The company disclosed this at its business roundtable held in Lagos on Tuesday with the theme: “Unlocking Growth: The Role of Smart Financing in Building Resilient Businesses.”

The event brought together business leaders, industry professionals and key stakeholders to explore how sector-specific financing and innovative lending models can support sustainable business growth in Nigeria’s evolving economy.

Zedvance said it disbursed N120 billion in loans in 2025, up from N60 billion recorded in the first half of the year, reflecting growing demand for alternative financing as businesses grapple with high borrowing costs and limited access to traditional bank credit.

“We hope to increase that figure threefold this year and scale lending to about N1 trillion by 2027, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to help drive economic growth in the country,” said Adedayo Amzat, group CEO of Zedcrest Group, the parent company of Zedvance.

Amzat said the company’s growth strategy is anchored on what he described as “ecosystem-linked solutions,” where businesses collaborate to strengthen entire industries rather than compete within limited markets.

“We must adopt an abundance mindset rather than think in terms of scarcity. The goal is to make entire ecosystems high-performing engines of growth so the market expands for everyone,” he added.

Over the last decade, the lender revealed that it has funded more than one million Nigerians through its retail and business loan products, disbursing over N250 billion in cumulative loans as digital lenders increasingly fill financing gaps left by conventional financial institutions.

The founder noted that Nigeria’s improving policy environment, including fuel subsidy removal and exchange-rate reforms, is helping to restore investor confidence and improve predictability for businesses.

“The current policy environment is giving businesses renewed optimism. The removal of fuel subsidies has improved price transparency in the energy market, while exchange-rate reforms are helping businesses plan better. The absolute exchange rate matters less than predictability and productivity,” Amzat said.

He recommended that the country must move beyond exporting raw commodities if it hopes to achieve sustainable economic growth, stressing the need for stronger support for local manufacturing, export processing and industrialisation.

“Nigeria cannot continue exporting low-value raw materials while higher-value jobs in manufacturing and processing are created elsewhere. We are beginning to see stronger support for local value addition, and that shift could help create more jobs and retain more economic value locally,” he said.

Amzat said the lender is positioning itself to support critical sectors of the economy, including export processing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and manufacturing, while leveraging technology-driven solutions to improve financial access and productivity.