Business
IFC Invests $100m Equity In ETI
International Finance Corporation (IFC) the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has invested $100 million in equity in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), parent company of the Ecobank Group. The investment makes IFC one of the leading shareholders in ETI.
This investment is part of ETI’s ongoing capital raising, continued from 2008 when the company raised US $150 million in long- term capital from a number of development of Finance Institutions, including IFC and FMO, the Netherlands Development Finance Company. The investment stems from a $100 million convertible loan that Ecobank secured from IFC in July 2008 in support of US growth and diversification strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“This substantial injection of capital is a strong indication of continued investors’ confidence in ETI”, says Arnold Ekpe, Chief Executive of Ecobank Group.
Incorporated in Lome, Togo, ETI is the parent company of the leading independent of the regional banking group in Africa. It currently has a subsidiaries and offices in 31 countries.
ETI is listed in the stock exchange in Lagos, Accra and the Bourse Regional desualeurs mobilieres (BRUM) in Abidjan. The Group is owned by more than 180,000 Local and international institutional and individual shareholders. It has over 11.000 employees from 29 different countries in over 700 branches-Ecobank is a full- service bank providing wholesales, retail investment and transaction banking service and products to government financial institutions, multinationals international organisations, medium small and micro business and individuals.
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“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.