Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire raised over CFA11 billion in just 48 hours through WAEMU’s first gender bond, with support from the IFC. The funds will be exclusively used to finance women-led businesses under the Ellever program.
Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire has successfully closed the first-ever gender bond in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), raising over CFA11 billion ($18.2 million) in just 48 hours. The bond, called "Ellever Gender Bond 6.5% 2024-2029," was designed specifically to finance businesses led by women. It surpassed its initial target of CFA10 billion.
This groundbreaking initiative offered investors an annual return of 6.5% over five years, with a two-year grace period before capital repayments begin. The bond was open to both institutional investors and the general public, with an initial offering of one million securities, each valued at CFA10,000.
"This was a resounding success. We closed the operation in just two days, far exceeding our initial goal," said Roselyne Abbé, Managing Director of Ecobank Development Corporation (EDC), which structured the transaction.
The deal was backed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and the Africa Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCB Fund). Together, they invested CFA4.9 billion. The ALCB Fund managed the fundraising on behalf of itself and the IFC, which also provided an additional CFA1.25 billion guarantee.
"This is a first in West Africa and clearly a model to follow," said Sergio Pimienta, IFC Vice President for Africa. Gender bonds remain a niche market, with a global value of only $14.5 billion in 2023—just 1.5% of the total sustainable bond market.
The bond issuance is part of Ecobank Côte d'Ivoire’s efforts to address a long-standing financing gap for women entrepreneurs, estimated at over CFA1.4 trillion. "We wanted to provide a concrete solution to this structural problem," said Paul-Harry Aithnard, CEO of Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire. "That’s what the Ellever program is all about—giving women access to capital, strengthening their skills, and supporting their digital transformation."
Since its launch two and a half years ago, the Ellever program has supported over 3,500 women-led businesses and disbursed more than CFA13 billion in funding. Despite these efforts, access to financing remains a major challenge in the region, with fewer than 20% of women-led SMEs in West Africa securing adequate funding.
Buoyed by the success of this bond, Ecobank now aims to expand the Ellever program to reach 10,000 women entrepreneurs in the coming years.
• Inflation within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) fell to a two-year low of 0....
• Interbank volumes rose 18.7% in May, while rates declined across the market• The BCEAO cut its mai...
• The U.S. imposed a 20% tariff on cashew exports from Vietnam and a 40% tax on suspected transshipm...
Cauri Money launches Gajo Money, an e-wallet for the Cameroonian diaspora, targeting €120 mil...
• Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways establish strategic agreement, introducing a third daily flight be...
MTN has announced the launch of the MTN Cloud Accelerator, a 12-week hybrid program designed to help African startups scale faster by leveraging MTN’s...
• CMOC increased cobalt production by 13% to 61,073 tonnes in the first half of 2025.• The DRC extended its cobalt export ban, forcing CMOC to stockpile...
Kenya plans to import 1.05 million tonnes of palm oil in 2025/2026, near its highest ever level. Malaysia supplies 90% of Kenya’s palm oil, sharply...
Power Africa closed after 12 years, leaving a gap in Africa’s electrification push. Mission 300 aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity...
The Emerald Sea is a vast turquoise lagoon located in the northern part of Madagascar, just a few kilometers from the town of Antsiranana (formerly Diego...
Malawi’s Mount Mulanje and Cameroon’s Diy-Gid-Biy added to UNESCO World Heritage List Africa still holds 25% of endangered sites, despite recent...