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 urged youths to shun investment scams and embrace the habit of saving.
NDIC said that for a nation to be prosperous, its citizens must learn to build legitimate wealth through savings and then advance to investment.
Mr Adegbenga Fagbuyi, assistant director, Communication and Corporate Affairs, NDIC, made the remarks while addressing students of Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, during the 2026 Financial Literacy Day.
Delivering his speech on “Smart Money,” Fagbuyi highlighted the importance of having basic knowledge of the financial system, making sound financial decisions, understanding the benefits of saving in banks, setting financial goals, maintaining financial discipline, and avoiding Ponzi schemes that promise high returns.
Fagbuyi said youths are among the major targets of the government’s financial inclusion drive, adding that the Financial Literacy Day formed part of activities marking Global Money Week, adopted by the Bankers’ Committee in Nigeria as a platform for mentoring youths on savings and investment.
He said, “The government wants everybody to be participants in the financial sector. But how can you be a participant if you don’t know how to save? How can you be a participant if you cannot convert your savings into an investment? So, most importantly, youths are one of the major targets of the financial inclusion drive of the government.”
Fagbuyi described financial inclusion as bringing everybody into the financial safety net by encouraging participation in banking, insurance, pensions, and the capital market.
He stressed that the government does not want youths to become adults who lack knowledge of safe banking practices, insurance, and the capital market.
“Government does not want them to grow old, to become adults who do not know about savings, safe banking habits, insurance, and the capital market. That is why we go to schools to sensitise students to all these basic financial matters, particularly savings, so that our students can begin to learn to save, learn credible investment habits through which they can be making legitimate income.
“We also educate them about the deposit insurance system administered by NDIC. When you save in banks, the banks are supervised and regulated. And if eventually they fail, you will not lose your money. That is what NDIC does,” Fagbuyi said.
He revealed that the sensitisation programme, which started about 10 years ago and is organised by the Bankers’ Committee, comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, and all the deposit money banks in Nigeria, has been held across states nationwide.
He said, “Minimum, every year, we go to 10 states. And we normally sensitise 200 students in each school. So this year, that means we are targeting 2,000 students.”
Fagbuyi, however, said the objective of the programme is not to cover all schools across the country but to set a standard for state governments and schools to replicate.
“But I must emphasise that the objective is not to cover all schools. It is to set a standard for state governments and for schools to replicate. You agree with me that we cannot be everywhere.
“But as a partner, as a key stakeholder in the financial inclusion drive of the federal government, we go to states to showcase what the government’s intention, so that states and schools can replicate. So it is on this note that we always urge states’ Ministries of Education, Science and Technology to replicate and expand these programmes across their respective states.”
In his address, Olusegun Olayiwola, Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, represented by Alhaji Lukuman Kareem, permanent secretary, Education Inspectorate, Ibadan North, commended the NDIC for selecting a school in Ibadan for the financial literacy sensitisation programme.
He noted that such initiatives must go beyond the classroom to shape young minds, adding that children cannot achieve expected outcomes unless they are properly guided.
“That’s why we significantly appreciate the efforts of the Bankers’ Committee, NDIC, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and all other members for this,” he said.
The commissioner charged the students to take the lessons seriously, noting that opportunities lost may not be easily regained. He also advised the NDIC to expand the programme to include students from neighbouring schools in future editions to maximise its impact without additional transportation costs.
Additionally, Olayiwola urged teachers to cascade the training to other students, who should in turn enlighten their siblings at home.
Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has set a July 31 deadline for all large taxpayers to wholly adopt the national e-invoicing and electronic fiscal system (EFS)- called digital exchange of structured invoice data between a supplier and a buyer.
This is sequel to a public notice issued by NRS on February 17, 2026 on the implementation timeline and the mandatory adoption of the national e-invoicing and EFS otherwise known as the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS).
Zacch Adedeji, chairman, NRS, personally signed the public notice informing all large taxpayers of the need to complete the onboarding, integration, testing, and commencement of invoice transmission to the NRS e-invoicing platform in accordance with the prescribed implementation framework.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser on Media to the chairman, “NRS has already commenced compliance monitoring activities in order to assess the level of adherence to the e-invoicing mandate among large taxpayers.
“Consequently, any defaulting member may be subjected to appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions in accordance with the provisions of the relevant tax laws and regulations.
“Affected taxpayers are, therefore, advised to urgently conclude all outstanding onboarding and integration activities and commence invoice transmission before the compliance deadline.
“The NRS appreciates the cooperation of taxpayers and remains committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the successful implementation of the national e-invoicing regime,” the notice said.
Large taxpayers are companies with gross turnover of N5 billion and above.
As of the first quarter of this year, over 1,000 companies had complied.
Compliance with the e-invoicing and Electronic Fiscal System covers the completion of onboarding on the NRS Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) and successful integration of taxpayer systems through approved Access Point Providers (APPs) and/or systems Integrators (SIs).
Others are completion of all required validation and testing activities; active transmission of invoices to the NRS e-invoicing platform in line with approved standards and guidelines; and ensuring the receipt of only compliant e-invoices with valid Invoice Reference Number (RIN) from suppliers.
Access Holdings Plc has completed the sale of a 7.44% stake in its Ghanaian subsidiary, a move believe is tied to a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rule capping how much local banks can hold in foreign units.
This was disclosed in a filing with the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) recently, which was obtained by our reporter over the weekend.
The corporate disclosure signed by the Company Secretary, Helen De Cardi Nelson, Access Bank (Ghana) Plc, stated that the outcome of the transaction reflects continued investor interest in Access Bank (Ghana) Plc and confidence in the long-term prospects of the Bank.
According to the release, the sale attracted strong participation from a well-diversified pool of investors, including pension funds, institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.
Access Bank (Ghana) Plc, listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange, disclosed that its parent, Access Bank Plc, sold 12,085,318 ordinary shares representing 7.44% of the unit’s issued shares on July 15, 2026.
The sale went through the Ghana Stock Exchange with regulatory clearance, including a no-objection from the Bank of Ghana.
Buyers included pension funds, institutional investors, and high-net-worth individuals. IC Securities (Ghana) Ltd acted as adviser and executing broker.
Commenting on the deal, Managing Director of Access Bank (Ghana), Ms. Pearl Nkrumah, said the transaction deepens local ownership and liquidity in the bank’s shares, and keeps management focused on turning its scale into value for stakeholders.
Before the sale, Access Bank Plc held 93.40% of Access Bank Ghana, with the remaining 6.60% already in the hands of other shareholders from the unit’s GSE listing.
Stake sold: 7.44%; Estimated holding after the sale: 85.96%; Public and other investors: approximately 14.04%
Access Holdings therefore retains firm majority control of its Ghanaian unit; this is a partial dilution, not an exit.
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