The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) and Women’s World Banking (WWB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening women’s role in Africa’s economy by expanding access to finance and support for women-led businesses. The partnership highlights the shared commitment of both organizations to advancing women’s economic empowerment through finance, technical support, and advocacy.
AGF, a pan-African leader in risk-sharing and capacity development, focuses on bridging the financing gap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). WWB, a global NGO and investor dedicated to financial inclusion, has spent more than four decades designing and scaling solutions to bring women into the formal financial sector. Together, the two organizations will work to expand access to credit for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), train financial service providers to better serve women entrepreneurs, deliver mentorship and technical support, and advocate for gender-inclusive policies across the continent.
“Women entrepreneurs represent one of Africa’s greatest untapped resources, yet they face a funding gap of USD 42 billion,” said AGF Group CEO Jules Ngankam. “This partnership with WWB allows us to combine our strengths to break these barriers and create a more inclusive financial ecosystem for women-led businesses.”
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of WWB, echoed the sentiment, noting that the collaboration blends WWB’s expertise in women-focused financial solutions with AGF’s extensive African footprint. “By leveraging our respective strengths, we will unlock significant capital for women-led MSMEs, create jobs, and drive economic growth for all,” she said.
The MoU also sets the stage for replicating and scaling successful gender-inclusive models across AGF’s presence in 44 African countries, amplifying the long-term impact on women entrepreneurs and fostering greater financial inclusion across the continent.
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