Project detail - ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED

Who is our customer

Incorporated in Lomé, Togo in 1988, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the leading independent pan-African banking group, Ecobank. It currently has a presence in 36 African countries, namely: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group employs over 17,000 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices. Ecobank is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organisations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals. Additional information on Ecobank can be found at ecobank.com.

What is our funding objective?

ETI will use the facility to provide funding to a number of subsidiaries across its network of 36 African countries. In line with the Ecobank Group’s strategic development objectives, at least 75 per cent of the loan facility will be directed to SME’s across various sectors of the economy.

Why do we fund this investment?

Through this investment FMO supports small and medium-sized enterprises in some of the most underbanked countries in Africa. Although SMEs in these countries provide the majority of jobs, their access to finance remains limited. Through the syndicated facility, FMO is happy to bring new investors to these markets and help to spur economic growth where it is needed most. By helping ETI to support job growth across Africa, including in Least Developed Countries, and by crowding in partner investors, FMO aims to contribute to three of the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth", SDG 10 "Reduced Inequalities" and SDG 17 "Partnerships for the Goals".

What is the Environmental and Social categorization rationale?

ETI is classified as an E&S Category A in accordance with FMO’s Sustainability Policy. The clients in the bank's portfolio are active in sectors which have potential significant and adverse environmental and social impacts, such as oil & gas, manufacturing and construction. Overall, the E&S risk profile of the bank's portfolio is relatively moderate, but due to the size of the bank, ETI is exposed to some high risk transactions. According to an analysis of ETI over the year 2016, of the total of 2,073 transactions that were screened and managed for E&S risk, 40 transactions were identified as high E&S risk transactions. ETI is an Equator Principles signatory. The bank has developed an adequate E&S framework that can serve as a solid base on which further improvement can be build. As part of the agreement with ETI, the bank will be investing in more E&S capacity, awareness and knowledge across the different layers within the organization. In addition, ETI is required to apply the EDFI Exclusion List, local E&S laws and regulations and the IFC Performance Standards Framework for certain identified projects.

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