Ecobank Group reports 194% surge in lending to women-led businesses
Ecobank Group has announced a significant rise in financial support for women entrepreneurs across Africa, reporting a 194 per cent increase in lending to women-led businesses in 2025. The pan-African banking group disclosed that it extended $780 million in loans to registered women-owned businesses last year, compared with $265 million in 2024, highlighting the growing […]
Ecobank Group has announced a significant rise in financial support for women entrepreneurs across Africa, reporting a 194 per cent increase in lending to women-led businesses in 2025.
The pan-African banking group disclosed that it extended $780 million in loans to registered women-owned businesses last year, compared with $265 million in 2024, highlighting the growing impact of its gender-focused initiatives aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship and economic growth across the continent.
The announcement was made in Lomé, Togo, during the launch of the Ecobank Gender Programme Report to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026.
According to the bank, women entrepreneurs remain central to Africa’s economic development, creating jobs, supporting households and strengthening local value chains. However, many women-owned businesses still face a significant funding gap estimated at $42 billion, which continues to limit their ability to expand operations and invest in growth.
Ecobank said its gender-focused programmes are designed to bridge this gap by combining financial support with training, mentoring and improved access to regional markets.
One of the bank’s flagship initiatives is the Ellevate programme, launched in November 2020 to support women-led businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the programme has evolved into one of the continent’s most extensive women-focused banking initiatives.
Following its expansion in 2025, Ellevate now operates in 26 countries across West, Central, East and Southern Africa, supporting more than 103,000 registered women entrepreneurs.
During the period under review, an additional 21,000 women entrepreneurs joined the programme, while over 24,000 women received training, mentoring or other forms of non-financial support designed to help them scale their businesses.
The initiative also provides access to cross-border trade opportunities through the Ecobank Single Market Trade Hub, which connects women-owned businesses with customers and partners across African markets.
Beyond supporting established enterprises, the bank is also focusing on women operating within the informal sector.
Through the MAMA programme, introduced in Ghana in 2024, Ecobank offers subsidised credit, savings solutions and business advisory services to women running small informal businesses.
Commenting on the development, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank, Jeremy Awori, said women entrepreneurs are among the most powerful drivers of economic growth across the continent.
“Women entrepreneurs are among the most powerful drivers of local economic growth across Africa, yet many still face barriers to finance that limit their ability to scale.
“At Ecobank, we are working to close this gap by combining capital, capability building and market access through our pan-African platform,” Awori said.