𝐈𝐅𝐂 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐁 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞

By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay

232News

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To increase access to finance for micro and small businesses in underserved communities in Sierra Leone, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced a local currency loan to ACTB Savings and Loans, a leading microfinance institution that serves mainly women-run businesses in the country.

IFC’s $3 million loan in Sierra Leonean leones equivalent, will allow ACTB to increase local currency lending to smaller businesses in the country, supporting economic activity and job creation.

It is anticipated that roughly 70 percent of new loans will go to women borrowers, in line with ACTB’s current customer base. ACTB focuses especially on lending to women because of the impact it delivers to them and to their families and communities.

Micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) are crucial to Sierra Leone’s economy, comprising 90 percent of private sector businesses and providing livelihoods to about 70 percent of the population. IFC’s loan to ACTB will broaden access to finance for these smaller businesses, helping them expand their operations and improve their productivity.

“The signing of this agreement is a significant step in our mission to increase our impact in Sierra Leone,” said David Kamara, CEO of ACTB Savings and Loans. “This loan will better enable MSMEs to obtain the financial services they require in a market where over 70 percent of Sierra Leoneans remain financially excluded. Together with IFC, we aim to bridge that gap and foster a more inclusive and resilient economy.”

“Financial inclusion is essential for sustainable development, and our partnership with ACTB demonstrates our shared commitment to it,” said Dahlia Khalifa, IFC Regional Director, Central and Anglophone West Africa. “IFC’s investment will help smaller businesses access the funding they need to maintain and grow their operations and support job creation. This partnership is consistent with our strategy to support a stronger, more inclusive economy in Sierra Leone.”

In addition to providing financing and building on previous advisory support IFC delivered to ACTB, IFC today announced it would help the microfinance institution develop its five-year business plan and strengthen its strategic focus in the market.

IFC’s loan is supported by the International Development Association’s Private Sector Window Local Currency Facility (IDA PSW LCF) and is provided by IFC’s Base of the Pyramid Platform (BOP), which helps financial services providers deliver critical funding to small and informal businesses, and low-income households.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐁:

ACTB is the leading non-bank affiliated MFI in Sierra Leone with a market share of 20.6% percent by loan portfolio as of December 2023. ACTB currently serves over 23,000 active borrowers, more than 70 percent of whom are women. The company was founded in 2008 by Truestone, a UK based investment manager that provides capital to high impact early-stage ventures in hard-to-access markets within West Africa. ACTB is headquartered in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, with 14 branches operating in 8 out of 14 districts throughout the country. For more information, visit www.actb.sl.com

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐅𝐂:

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐃𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰:

The International Development Association’s (IDA) Private Sector Window was launched in 2017 to catalyze private sector investment in the poorest and most fragile countries. Recognizing the key role of the private sector in achieving IDA’s objectives and the World Bank Group’s twin goals, the window provides a source of co-investment funding and guarantees to de-risk private investments supported by IFC and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The IDA PSW is an option when there is no commercial solution, and the World Bank Group’s other tools and approaches are insufficient.