The African Export-Import Bank has committed a $75 million facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, including businesses in the creative economy. Afreximbank announced the commitment on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, after a ceremonial signing at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Lagos.
How the money will reach businesses
DBN will not lend directly to businesses. It will channel the facility through its participating financial institutions, which will fund eligible small businesses. The money can support working capital, asset acquisition, pre-export and post-export financing, and supply chain activities. This wholesale model has allowed DBN to reach small businesses through banks and microfinance lenders that already have customers in the market.
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Finance with export training attached
The facility falls under Afreximbank’s Export SME Development programme, which pairs funding with capacity-building and export-readiness support. Beneficiary businesses are expected to receive the skills, tools and market knowledge to become export-ready and reach regional and international buyers. Afreximbank and DBN will also develop training for the participating financial institutions, so that lenders learn how to assess and serve export-oriented SMEs.
That training for lenders may prove as important as the money. A bank that has only ever financed local trading needs different tools to judge a manufacturer preparing a shipment for buyers abroad.
Afreximbank’s Awani said the objective is to help Nigerian SMEs build productive capacity and make the transition from promising local businesses to sustainable exporters. DBN Managing Director Tony Okpanachi said the facility aligns with the bank’s mandate to address financing constraints and support inclusive growth, with particular opportunities for creative and export-oriented businesses.
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Why creative businesses are in the frame
Organisers held the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend from 5 to 8 November at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Cultural and Creative Arts in Lagos. The programme included a deal room, finance and intellectual property sessions, export-readiness training and business-to-business meetings. Fashion, film and music businesses are among those expected to benefit.
The wider pattern
The commitment follows a separate $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Nigeria Export-Import Bank, announced days earlier, which includes a $20 million revolving working capital line and a $10 million medium-to-long-term loan for export-oriented SMEs. DBN reported earlier this year that it had disbursed N1.4 trillion through 84 participating financial institutions.
Nigerian small businesses have spent much of 2026 looking for patient, affordable credit. Two Afreximbank facilities in one week show that export finance is becoming one of the more active routes to it, provided businesses can meet the quality and documentation standards that exporting demands.
