E-Financial
Ecobank Raises Record $450m in Nature Bond for Africa’s Biodiversity
Ecobank Group has broken new ground in sustainable finance with the launch of the world’s first International Capital Market Association (ICMA) commercial bank-issued Nature Bond on the London Stock Exchange, raising $450 million to channel capital into biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and water infrastructure across Africa.
The landmark transaction, which attracted overwhelming investor demand and earned the highest sustainability quality rating from Moody’s, is being hailed as a major milestone in efforts to close Africa’s nature-finance gap and mobilise private capital for environmental resilience.
The bond, which was oversubscribed nearly four times, creates a new mechanism for international and African investors to finance the protection of the continent’s natural capital through the communities, farmers and businesses that depend on it.
Africa hosts 25 percent of global biodiversity and is home to some of the world’s most important ecological assets, including vast tracts of arable land, tropical forests, freshwater ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
Yet despite its ecological significance, the continent attracts less than three percent of global nature finance, according to industry estimates.
Ecobank’s Nature Bond is designed to address this imbalance by directing capital into sectors where environmental outcomes and economic livelihoods are deeply interconnected.
Unlike traditional conservation financing vehicles that often focus on protected areas and environmental projects, the Nature Bond channels funding directly into the real economy.
The proceeds will support smallholder farmers adopting sustainable agricultural practices, agribusinesses operating verified deforestation-free supply chains, and water infrastructure projects that safeguard freshwater ecosystems relied upon by millions of people.
The initiative will span 24 African markets, with significant deployment planned in biodiversity-priority countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
According to Ecobank, 81 percent of the eligible lending portfolio will be directed to countries where agricultural land-use change remains the primary driver of biodiversity loss. This approach is intended to ensure that financing reaches areas where environmental intervention can generate the greatest impact.
Nature Bonds represent one of the newest categories within sustainable finance.
Under ICMA’s nature bond framework, proceeds must be used specifically to support nature-positive outcomes, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, land restoration and water ecosystem protection.
The designation differs from conventional green bonds, which often support a broader range of environmental objectives.
By contrast, Nature Bonds are designed to target activities directly linked to preserving and restoring natural ecosystems.
For Ecobank, the transaction represents the culmination of several years of investment in sustainability governance, environmental risk management and impact measurement frameworks.
The bank said every eligible loan financed through the bond will be subject to seven independently verified sustainability conditions, supported by monitoring systems that include deforestation screening, supply-chain traceability requirements and ongoing environmental performance assessments.
These safeguards were instrumental in securing Moody’s highest possible Sustainability Quality Score (SQS1 Excellent), providing investors with confidence that the proceeds will generate measurable environmental outcomes.
The $450 million issuance attracted orders worth more than $1.36 billion, representing 3.9 times the original target size.
The strong demand enabled Ecobank to increase the deal size by $100 million while simultaneously tightening pricing by 50 basis points, a rare achievement in sustainable finance markets and a reflection of growing investor interest in credible nature-based investment opportunities.
The transaction drew participation from both African and international institutional investors, underscoring Ecobank’s unique position as a pan-African financial institution capable of bridging global capital markets with local development priorities.
Jeremy Awori, group chief executive officer of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, described the transaction as a defining moment not only for the bank but also for Africa’s sustainable finance landscape.
“This transaction is a defining moment for African sustainable finance. Investors did not just support this bond. They demanded more of it, allowing us to increase the size and tighten pricing,” Awori said.
He noted that Ecobank had spent four years building the governance systems, accountability structures and operational frameworks required to make nature finance both credible and scalable across African markets.
“We are not a bank that simply labels bonds,” he said. “This bond is ultimately about the farmers, cooperatives and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.”
Rachael Antwi, Ecobank’s group head of sustainability and environmental and social risk management, said the future of nature finance on the continent would depend on practical models that connect environmental objectives with real economic activity.
“Nature finance will only scale in Africa if it is practical, measurable and connected to the real economy. This bond is designed to do that by linking international capital to eligible lending for sustainable agriculture and water infrastructure across 24 countries,” she added.
Antwi added that the framework reflects the systems and standards Ecobank has developed to ensure environmental sustainability and economic development can advance together.
The launch is expected to strengthen Africa’s position within the rapidly expanding global sustainable finance market, which is increasingly looking beyond climate mitigation to address biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has begun paying insured deposits to customers of the 46 recently failed microfinance banks.
Mr Thompson Sunday, managing director and chief executive, NDIC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The interview took place on the sidelines of the International Association of Deposit Insurers Africa Regional Committee meeting.
Sunday said the corporation was using the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS) and customers’ Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) for the payments.
He said the NDIC had traced depositors’ alternative bank accounts and credited them directly without requiring physical visits.
He advised depositors without BVNs to visit the nearest NDIC zonal office for verification and payment processing
“The CBN revoked the licences of the 46 microfinance banks on July 1, 2026,” he said.
He said the NDIC automatically became the provisional liquidator after the revocation, in line with the law.
Sunday said the corporation had commenced payment of the insured maximum deposit of N2 million to eligible customers.
He explained that further payments would depend on the recovery of the failed banks’ assets and outstanding debts.
He said proceeds realised from recoveries would be distributed as liquidation dividends to eligible depositors.
Sunday cited Heritage Bank, Aso Savings and Union Homes as examples of the NDIC’s prompt reimbursement efforts.
He said insured depositors of Heritage Bank were paid within four days of the revocation of its licence.
He added that customers of Aso Savings and Union Homes received payments within 72 hours.
“The law allows us 30 days, but we are working to surpass our previous records,” he said.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the banks’ licences for failing to meet regulatory requirements for continued operations.
The apex bank said the action was aimed at protecting depositors, strengthening financial stability and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Mr Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has warned that fear, rumours and misinformation could trigger instability in the banking sector if not properly managed.
Mr Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
Oyedele gave the warning in Abuja at the 2026 International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Africa Regional Committee (ARC) Annual Meeting and Workshop, with the theme: “Safeguarding Stability: Public Awareness and Crisis Readiness for a Stronger Future.”
The minister said public confidence remained the foundation of every stable financial system, stressing that panic triggered by false information could create liquidity challenges even for financially sound institutions.
According to him, “there can be no economic growth without financial system stability, and there can be no financial stability without public trust.”
He explained that in the digital age, misinformation could spread rapidly across social media platforms, causing depositors to react out of fear.
“Public trust is fragile. In the digital age, rumours and misinformation can spread across social platforms in seconds, creating liquidity shocks even for solvent institutions,” Oyedele said.
He stressed that building public awareness should not be viewed as a public relations activity, but as a key risk management strategy capable of protecting depositors and strengthening the financial system.
Oyedele noted that deposit insurance had evolved beyond a mechanism for handling bank failures, describing it as a strategic tool for promoting confidence and economic stability.
He said effective crisis preparedness required clear frameworks, communication channels, simulation exercises and coordination among financial sector regulators before emergencies occur.
“Preparedness is not an event, it is a culture,” he said, adding that the strongest crisis response was one that prevented panic from occurring in the first place.
Highlighting Nigeria’s financial sector reforms, the minister said the country’s banking recapitalisation exercise, concluded in March 2026, strengthened the resilience of banks.
He disclosed that 33 out of Nigeria’s 37 banks met the new capital requirements, raising a combined N4.65 trillion in fresh capital, with over 70 per cent sourced from domestic investors.
Oyedele said a better-capitalised banking system would be better positioned to absorb shocks, sustain lending and reduce pressure on the deposit insurance fund.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025 as another milestone that strengthened confidence in the country’s financial system.
Also speaking, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said public awareness and crisis preparedness were central to maintaining financial stability.
Represented by Solaja Olayemi, director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department represented, Cardoso said financial systems globally were undergoing rapid transformation due to technological innovation, digital finance, changing consumer behaviour and increasing market interconnectedness.
According to him, while these developments create opportunities, they also introduce new risks that require stronger cooperation among financial safety-net institutions.
The CBN boss warned that misinformation could spread quickly through digital channels, amplifying depositor reactions and creating potential threats to financial stability.
He added that institutions must continuously strengthen crisis management frameworks, operational resilience and coordination mechanisms to respond effectively to emerging challenges.
The apex bank governor also highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s banking sector recapitalisation policy, saying stronger capital buffers would reduce the likelihood of bank failures and reinforce depositor confidence.
“No single institution can safeguard financial stability in isolation. It is through the coherence and complementarity of this institutional relationship that Nigeria’s financial safety net derives its strength,” he noted.
Earlier, Mr Thompson Sunday, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), said confidence remained the most valuable asset in any financial system.
The NDIC boss said trust could take years to build but could be lost quickly if stakeholders perceived uncertainty or instability. He said deposit insurers must ensure that the public understands and trusts existing protection frameworks during both normal periods and times of crisis.
He noted that the 2023 global banking turmoil highlighted the need for institutions to invest in crisis simulation exercises, contingency planning and effective communication strategies.
According to him, the NDIC has continued to strengthen its operational readiness through improved depositor reimbursement systems, public awareness initiatives and enhanced crisis management capabilities.
European Union (EU) has warned the public against a fraudulent document circulating online which falsely claims that the bloc, in collaboration with the World Bank, is offering compensation to individuals whose funds are allegedly trapped in banks and financial institutions across West Africa.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS described the purported compensation programme as a scam, stressing that neither the European Union nor the World Bank is involved in any such initiative.
The fake document, fraudulently attributed to Thérèse Blanchet, secretary-general of the Council of the European Union, claimed that a special EU-World Bank recovery programme has been established to compensate citizens of Europe and other countries whose legally transferred funds were allegedly withheld by banks in the region.
It also falsely stated that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS has been mandated to supervise the compensation exercise and directs potential claimants to contact him for processing.
However, the EU categorically dismissed the claims, describing every aspect of the document as fabricated.
“The document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false. The European Union is neither aware of any such bogus programme nor part of it,” the Delegation stated.
The EU further disclosed that the email addresses and telephone numbers listed in the fraudulent document, purportedly belonging to Ms. Blanchet and Ambassador Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, , are fake and are being used by fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting victims.
The Delegation urged members of the public to ignore the fraudulent claims and avoid engaging with anyone promoting the scheme.
It emphasized that all official announcements from the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS are published exclusively through its official website and verified social media platforms.
The warning comes amid increasing cases of cyber-enabled financial fraud in which criminal syndicates impersonate international organisations, government institutions and senior officials to lure victims into paying fictitious processing fees or divulging sensitive personal and financial information.
The EU reiterated its commitment to combating fraud and misinformation while urging citizens to remain vigilant against scams exploiting the names and identities of reputable international institutions.
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