CBG Secures $5M SIF Funding for Women and MSMEs

In Short

• Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) has secured a US$5 million allocation to finance women, youth, and MSMEs in Ghana.
• The programme targets about 3,000 beneficiaries over 36 months.
• Funding is tied to a results-based model, which can unlock more money if targets are met.

What Happened

Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) has secured a US$5 million funding allocation from Ghana’s Social Investment Fund to support around 3,000 women, young people, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, also called MSMEs (small businesses from micro traders to growing firms).

The allocation, reported as roughly GH¢55 million, sits under the Ghana Women, Youth, Empowerment, Employment and Social Cohesion Assets to Finance Compact. It is part of a broader US$71 million programme funded by the African Development Bank.

Under the MSME financing component, US$50 million has been set aside for women-led and youth-led businesses. CBG is one of the participating banks, alongside GCB Bank and Apex Bank.

CBG’s managing director, Dr. Naomi Wolali Kwetey, said the first 25% advance of the bank’s allocation is expected to support about 800 beneficiaries. She said the bank will rely on transparent selection, credit appraisal (a structured way to check repayment ability), timely disbursement, and monitoring.

The Social Investment Fund said the programme uses results-based financing, also called RBF (a payout model where access to more funds depends on hitting agreed outcomes). That means CBG could receive its full allocation faster if it meets targets early, and could also access more funds based on performance.

Why It Matters

For Ghana’s small business ecosystem, this funding channel is another route to more affordable credit, which is still a major barrier for women and young entrepreneurs.

The package also includes business development services and financial literacy training, which can improve how MSMEs manage cash flow, record keeping, and growth plans.

For lenders like Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), the results-based approach increases accountability. It also puts pressure on measurable outcomes such as business sustainability and job creation, not just loan disbursement volume.