The agreement will continue to support the Group’s efforts to provide financial solutions for SMEs, with a special focus on women-led businesses and those in environmentally responsible sectors. The signing of this agreement is the latest milestone in a strategic partnership between the two guarantee funds, which began with the creation of the SGG, and which AGF helped to operationalise. Africa faces a significant energy access challenge, with approximately 600 million people lacking electricity as of 2023. Watch Our Video The partnership will also pave the way for replicating and scaling successful models across AGF’s footprint in 44 African countries. Through the AFAWA initiative, AGF has so far unlocked nearly USD 1 billion in loans to more than 14,000 women-owned/led businesses across the continent The first calls for projects will be launched in the third quarter of 2025, with the goal of supporting 200 projects in the first year of implementation. This agreement signifies the start of a long-term strategic relationship, and it provides a perfect intersection of the AGF's mission to unlock financing for SMEs, and BOI's mandate to catalyse Nigeria's industrialization and economic transformation. The partnership marks the beginning of a new chapter in AGF and KNCCI's shared vision of economic empowerment for Africa’s SME sector.