Cameroon is one of 14 African countries selected for a three-year initiative between Access Bank and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The program aims to enhance financing, market penetration, and business skills for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), though the specific funding allocated to Cameroonian businesses remains undisclosed.
Announced on September 22, 2026, the initiative will initially launch as a pilot in Ghana from September 2026 to June 2027, with plans to expand to other markets starting in 2027.
No specific timeline has been released for Cameroon’s inclusion. Furthermore, the partners have not provided a national funding allocation or set targets for the number of local businesses expected to benefit.
The memorandum of understanding was executed between the ITC—a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations—and The Access Africa Office, which oversees Access Bank’s subsidiaries across the continent.
Beyond Cameroon and Ghana, the program encompasses Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The partnership focuses on five core areas: facilitating access to finance, particularly for women and youth-led enterprises; fostering job creation through SMEs; enhancing business sustainability; advancing skills development, including digital trade; and expanding market access.
Additionally, the partners intend to assist companies in participating in intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. For Cameroonian enterprises, securing financing remains a significant hurdle.
According to the Bank of Central African States, the average effective interest rate on new SME loans in Cameroon was 11.85% in Q1 2026, compared to 7.59% for large corporations—a disparity of 4.26 percentage points.
During the same period, banks issued CFA231.19 billion in new financing to SMEs, a stark contrast to the CFA970.66 billion directed toward large companies.
Access Bank already operates SME initiatives within Cameroon. In November 2025, its local subsidiary introduced the Cameroon edition of Womenpreneur Pitch-A-Ton in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the African Guarantee Fund.
That initiative selected 150 women entrepreneurs for financial management training and awarded three grants totaling CFA6 million.
In May 2026, Access Bank also signed a framework agreement with the IFC for approximately $500 million in local-currency financing. This facility targets sectors such as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, housing, and infrastructure. While the bank states the facility will cover multiple African markets, including the CEMAC region, it has not detailed how funds will be distributed among countries.
The IFC financing facility and the new ITC partnership are distinct agreements. The September 22 announcement does not clarify whether SMEs participating in the ITC program will also access financing through the IFC-backed facility.
It also lacks details on eligibility requirements in Cameroon, anticipated credit volumes, or how Access Bank Cameroon might distribute lending risks with other partners.
Ultimately, these specifics will dictate the extent of additional financing the program can provide to Cameroonian SMEs once it becomes operational in the country.
