Browsing: Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA)

The French Development Agency (AFD) is to provide about $30 Million through its African Guarantee Fund (AGF) for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The fund is meant to help improve access to credit to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout Africa.

The sub-participation agreement of the $30 million funds was signed by Mr Rémy Rioux, AFD Chief Executive Officer and Mr Félix Bikpo, AGF Group Chief Executive.

The agreement signed between AFD and AGF broadens the existing cooperation between the two entities, by providing AGF with a counter-guarantee of $30 million, using the ARIZ risk-sharing mechanism which is a support for the risk of financing private investment.

The risk-sharing mechanism is in a final loss guarantee offered to financial institutions by AFD to cover 50 per cent to 75 per cent of an individual loan or a loan portfolio for microfinance institutions (MFIs) and SMEs.

The counter-guarantee will enable AGF to …

The African Development Bank and partners officially launched Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Risk Sharing Facility earlier this week at a press conference held during the 2019 Global Gender Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

The bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme started with significant support from commercial banks and a $1 million commitment from the government of Rwanda.

AFAWA is one of the Bank’s gender-focused programmes which seeks to close the financial gap for women by accelerating growth and employment creation across African economies.

“Today is a great day! With this facility, women will be able to receive technical assistance. We shall strengthen our capacity and we shall get there. The decision that we are taking today is highly transformational. It will permanently transform Africa.” said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.

The press conference was attended by several heads of commercial …