British International Investment partners with Ecobank DRC for $30m SMEs financing

British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, and Ecobank DRC on Tuesday announced a $30 million risk-sharing facility to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under its new five-year strategy, BII has committed that at least 25 per cent of new investments by value will go to frontier markets, defined by the UN as Least Developed Countries. The partnership brings together BII’s commitment to these markets, where private sector capital remains scarce due to structural barriers to investment, and Ecobank DRC’s track record in supporting small businesses in the country.

By sharing risk on new and expanded loans, BII will help Ecobank DRC increase its support to businesses that struggle to access finance due to collateral requirements and limited credit availability. The facility will target sectors critical to the country’s economic development, job creation and more resilient supply chains in the real economy, including agriculture and agro-processing, industrial, infrastructure, climate-aligned projects and renewable energy, as well as local entrepreneurship.

Chris Chijiutomi, managing director and head of Africa, BII, said: “Small and medium-sized enterprises are at the heart of economic development and job creation in the DRC, yet many continue to face significant barriers in accessing the capital they need to grow. As part of BII’s focus on frontier markets, our expanded partnership with Ecobank will enable greater and longer-term lending to small businesses in the DRC.”

Joel Kabuya, acting managing director of Ecobank DRC, stated: “This strategic partnership with British International Investment represents a major step in strengthening our SME financing capabilities in the DRC. It reinforces our commitment to providing long-term support to the private sector, while applying the highest standards in risk management and responsible finance.”

This collaboration is BII’s second risk sharing facility with the Ecobank Group following the Ecobank Sierra Leone investment in 2024. This is also delivered under the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) initiative. ARIA is a collaborative initiative launched by BII and co-funded with two other development finance partners, FMO and Proparco, to boost investment in frontier markets in Africa.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.