ECOWAS Bank Extends $10m Facility to Vista Bank Sierra Leone to Boost SMEs

Under this facility, Vista Bank Sierra Leone intends to expand its lending to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and corporate clients, and to support women and young entrepreneurs in the country.

Speaking at the signing, Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, underscored the central role that SMEs play in driving regional resilience and competitiveness.

He emphasised that supporting a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in productive sectors such as agriculture and agribusiness, is critical to enhancing food security, building local industries, and advancing regional value addition. “By channelling long-term, affordable financing to the real economy, EBID and Vista Bank Sierra Leone are equipping businesses with the resources they need to scale up operations, expand into regional markets, and improve livelihoods”, Dr Donkor concluded.

Mr Pa Ousman Njie, Managing Director for Vista Bank Sierra Leone, reaffirmed the Bank’s readiness to efficiently deploy the facility to maximise development impact. He stated that with prudent credit allocation, robust risk management, and a focus on high potential sectors, Vista Bank Sierra Leone aims to empower local value creation, broaden financial inclusion, and stimulate impactful economic activity.

This new engagement reinforces EBID’s wider regional footprint as the Bank continues to deliver financing that accelerates socio-economic transformation in the ECOWAS sub-region. With a growing portfolio across both public and private sectors, EBID remains focused on forging strategic partnerships to finance development-focused initiatives in line with its mandate of fostering the emergence of a more prosperous West Africa.