LAGOS — Dalu Ajene has announced the launch of a new $300 million risk-sharing facility between Standard Chartered Africa and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) aimed at strengthening trade finance and supply chain operations across key African markets.
The initiative is expected to support businesses in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, with particular focus on agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.
According to Ajene, the partnership is designed to address one of Africa’s major commercial challenges — access to affordable and timely working capital for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Capital should move as swiftly as commerce,” he stated, describing the facility as a strategic effort to improve liquidity access and strengthen supply chain financing across the continent.
The facility leverages IFC guarantees to reduce financing risks and accelerate supplier payments, enabling businesses to access working capital faster and at lower financing costs.
Industry analysts say access to trade finance remains a significant barrier for many African SMEs, despite their critical role in employment generation and economic development. Limited liquidity and delayed payments often restrict business expansion and weaken supply chain efficiency across several sectors.
Ajene noted that the initiative aligns with Standard Chartered’s Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) strategy by helping suppliers secure earlier payments and improving financial stability within regional value chains.
“By leveraging IFC guarantees and facilitating faster access to liquidity, we’re empowering African businesses to invest, expand, and reinforce value chains across the continent,” he explained.
Over the next three years, the partnership is projected to facilitate approximately $1.9 billion in supply chain finance transactions while supporting more than 500 suppliers across participating markets.
The programme is also expected to indirectly benefit over one million farmers by strengthening buyer-supplier relationships, improving delivery reliability, and supporting job creation throughout agricultural and industrial value chains.
Stakeholders believe the initiative could contribute significantly to improving cross-border trade efficiency and boosting economic resilience in participating African economies, particularly as businesses continue to face rising operational costs and financing constraints.
The agreement reflects increasing collaboration between international financial institutions and commercial banks to address Africa’s trade finance gap, which experts estimate runs into billions of dollars annually.
Ajene commended both IFC and the Standard Chartered teams involved in developing the facility, noting that the focus will now shift toward implementation and scaling long-term impact across the continent.
“I look forward to seeing how this partnership transforms opportunities for businesses and communities across Africa,” he said.
Financial experts say initiatives such as the new risk-sharing facility could play a critical role in enhancing SME competitiveness, increasing industrial productivity, and strengthening Africa’s broader economic integration agenda.