Union Bank secures $200m OPIC funding for SMEs

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has secured $200 million in funding via a partnership with sub-Saharan Africa financial services group, Atlas Mara Limited, in agreement with Overseas

Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

OPIC is the U.S. government's development finance institution.

Under the terms of the agreement, Union Bank will receive a tenyear term loan of up to $200 million from OPIC for investments in digitization, on-lending to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and funding for womenled businesses, as part of OPIC’s 2X Women’s initiative which aims to catalyse $1 billion for investment in women across developing nations.

Speaking on the funding milestone, Emeka Emuwa,

CEO of Union Bank said, “We welcome this partnership with OPIC as we are well-positioned in Nigeria to further advance lending to key segments of the population, especially SMEs. The 10-year tenor of the OPIC facility provides flexibility to maximize impact across key sectors of the Nigerian economy as we continue to advance proven initiatives including those focused on women’s banking and financial inclusion.”

David Bohigian, President and CEO of OPIC also noted that, "OPIC is delighted to partner with Atlas Mara and the team at Union Bank to drive inclusive leading in Nigeria. This funding benefits SMEs and women and will help serve the needs of underbanked and unbanked individuals and businesses while fostering entrepreneurship and economic development across Nigeria."