African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed a $75 million financing facility to the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand access to finance for Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including businesses in the creative industries.

The facility will be channelled through DBN's participating financial institutions to provide funding for working capital, asset acquisition, pre-export and post-export activities, and supply chain financing.

Eligible beneficiaries will include businesses operating in fashion, film, music, design and other creative sectors, alongside SMEs seeking to expand their participation in regional and international trade.

The agreement was announced during CANEX WKND 2026, held in Lagos from November 5 to 8, and signed by Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, and Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director and CEO of DBN.

The financing forms part of Afreximbank's Export SME Development programme, which combines access to capital with capacity-building, export-readiness support and market development initiatives.

Under the partnership, Afreximbank and DBN will jointly develop a programme to strengthen participating financial institutions' ability to assess and finance export-oriented SMEs.

Beneficiary businesses will also gain access to Afreximbank's trade platforms, including MANSA, TRADAR, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the African Trade Exchange (ATEX).

Additional market access support will be provided through initiatives such as the Africa Buyer Programme, the Africa Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF).

“Our partnership with DBN goes beyond providing capital. We are taking an integrated approach that combines finance with capacity building, export-readiness support and access to markets,” said Awani.

“Our objective is to help Nigerian SMEs build productive capacity, strengthen their competitiveness and make the transition from promising local businesses to sustainable exporters.”

Awani added that the initiative would also strengthen the ability of local financial institutions to support SMEs throughout their development.

The partnership brings together DBN's wholesale lending network and Afreximbank's trade finance and market access capabilities, with the aim of addressing financing constraints faced by smaller businesses.

“This partnership with Afreximbank represents another important step in DBN’s commitment to expanding access to finance for Nigerian MSMEs and enabling them to build resilient, competitive and sustainable businesses,” said Okpanachi.

“The US$75 million facility will provide much-needed financing through our Participating Financial Institutions, while creating greater opportunities for businesses, particularly those in the creative and export-oriented sectors, to strengthen their productive capacity and access new markets.”

The financing also supports Afreximbank's Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, which aims to develop commercially sustainable creative businesses through access to finance, skills, markets and commercial partnerships.