United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced an initiative aimed at providing robust and comprehensive financing solutions to support and boost activities of Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) across the African continent.
According to the bank, through this initiative, UBA will be giving SMEs the opportunity to access financing for small businesses that specialise in the key sectors of Agro-processing, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive and Transport and Logistics.
In a statement by the bank, the financing initiative is powered by UBA’s recent partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat to provide financing for up to $6 billion over the next three years to eligible SMEs across Africa, an agreement which was signed on the sidelines of the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meeting (AAM) which was held in Accra, Ghana.
‘‘By the agreement, UBA and AfCFTA agreed to promote the development of SMEs operating in Four sectors under the 1st phase of the partnership which are largely import dependent, by providing technical and financing solutions for intra-African/domestic alternatives. These economic sectors are Agro-processing, Automotive, pharmaceuticals, Transport and Logistics,’’ the statement read.
The deputy managing director of UBA, Muyiwa Akinyemi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the bank, noted that being Africa’s global bank, UBA remains committed to supporting the growth/development of SMEs across Africa. This is in line with our strategic focus on the SME segment being a catalyst for the economic development of Africa.
Muyiwa further said, “Under this partnership, UBA will go beyond just financing to provide non-financial services to these SMEs to develop the capacity for growth across the 20 African countries that we are present and build sustainable business practices. We shall also be leveraging technology to deliver our financing activities to the beneficiaries and this platform provides us with a unique opportunity to stimulate the development of the continent as Africa’s Global Bank.”
UBA’s group head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, noted that the $240,000 financing by the bank will be in the form of working capital loans and asset finance loans, with the aim of positioning the businesses for growth and success in the evolving African business landscape.
Specifically, she explained that the SMEs in the particular sectors of Agro-processing, Automotive, pharmaceuticals, Transport and Logistics, will be able to access a working Capital Loan by way of Overdrafts and Short-Term Loans with a maximum value of $120,000 in each of their country’s local currency; and asset Finance Loan of up to $120,000 in the local currency of the obligor, to use for the acquisition of operational assets and equipment to meet their business expansion needs.
