ITC, Access Bank Launch SME Growth Partnership Covering Kenya and 13 Other African Countries

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and Access Bank have signed a new three-year partnership aimed at improving access to finance, markets, and business skills for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across 14 African countries, including Kenya.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and will initially be rolled out through a pilot programme in Ghana from September 2026 to June 2027, with women-led businesses taking priority.

According to the joint statement, the partnership seeks to address one of the biggest challenges facing African SMEs: limited access to financing and market opportunities despite the sector being responsible for creating most of the continent’s jobs.

“African small businesses generate most of the Continent’s jobs but regularly struggle to get the financing and market access they need to grow,” said the statement.

African Countries

Additionally, beyond Ghana, the initiative is expected to expand to Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia from 2027.

The programme will focus on five key areas: creating jobs through SMEs, improving access to finance, supporting business sustainability, strengthening capacity through digital trade skills and expanding market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Further, ITC said the pilot phase will use its existing digital learning platforms and training-of-trainers programmes, working closely with Access Africa Office staff to equip businesses with practical trade and business skills.

“The implementation begins with a pilot phase. From September 2026 to June 2027, focused on a Cohort of small businesses in Ghana, with women-led enterprises prioritized, the statement said.

Advanced Training

In addition, future expansion plans include advanced training on sustainability standards and digital marketplace tools to help African businesses compete in regional and international markets.

ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said access to finance remains the biggest barrier preventing many African small businesses from growing and trading across borders.

She said the partnership combines financial support with knowledge, networks, and market connections to help enterprises expand.

Access Bank Executive Director for African Subsidiaries Seyi Kumapayi said financing alone is not enough for businesses to scale, adding that access to markets and trade-ready skills are equally important for long-term growth.

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He noted that the partnership begins with women-led enterprises in Ghana but is designed to strengthen intra-African trade and deepen financial inclusion across the continent as it expands.

Access Bank currently operates more than 700 branches across 25 countries on three continents and serves over 63 million customers.

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Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), and Seyi Kumapayi, Executive Director of African Subsidiaries at Access Bank Plc
PHOTO/File