AfDB grants UBA $150 million loan to support SMEs, power sector

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) on Wednesday signed a $ 150 million loan agreement with Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa (UBA). to finance infrastructure and SME projects, including women-owned enterprises in Nigeria.
In a statement by AfDB, the Fund will support development of productive sectors of the economy; particularly the power sector, Infrastructure, Women-owned enterprises as well as SMEs.
“This line of credit comes at an opportune time and would boost efforts at reducing the huge power sector financing deficit that is limiting energy supply and complement our support to medium and small scale enterprises while also promoting gender diversification across the value chain,” UBA chief executive Kennedy Uzoka said.
UBA, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria, operates in 19 African countries and providing a wide range of products and services.
The Africa’s biggest economy top commercial lender is one of the leading financial institution that support various infrastructure projects, particularly power, telecom, transport and also social infrastructure such as hospital and education facilities.
UBA received Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year Award in 2015, it has more than 450 branches supporting 3,700 SMEs across the country.
AfDB has remained UBA’s long-term partner in its financing activities. In 2009, AfDB provided liquidity facilities to deepen its trade finance and other lending activities, thus contributing to key economic sectors of the Nigerian economy, particularly at a time when the economy requires critical funding to stimulate growth and employment.
By leveraging UBA’s branch network, the Line of Credit will also scale up lending to SMEs and women enterprises in both urban and rural areas to create more jobs and to promote inclusive growth for Nigeria’s economy by stimulating the various sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, education and services.