Accra, Ghana, January 23, 2026 – IFC and Access Bank Ghana Plc today announced a partnership to expand affordable financing for Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) and strengthen the resilience, productivity, and sustainability of Ghana’s cocoa sector. The initiative, supported by the Private Sector Window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), is expected to benefit thousands of smallholder farmers by improving LBC liquidity, enhancing traceability systems, and enabling the procurement of more sustainably produced cocoa beans.
This expanded access to capital will help LBCs purchase traceable cocoa beans from smallholder farmers, strengthen supply chain transparency, and support improved environmental and social standards across the industry.
The financing also supports Ghana’s national objectives on sustainable cocoa production, including the uptake of Rainforest Alliance–certified cocoa, which promotes responsible land use, forest protection, and compliance with emerging global market requirements.
Through the partnership, IFC and GAFSP will provide up to $67 million in unfunded risk-participation facilities, enabling Access Bank Ghana to extend up to $134 million in financing to leading LBCs.
Pearl Nkrumah, Managing Director of Access Bank Ghana, said, “Access Bank’s support to LBCs will unlock the liquidity they need during the purchasing season, help improve traceability, and encourage more sustainable sourcing practices that will position Ghana’s cocoa sector for long-term competitiveness. This partnership with IFC underscores our shared commitment to strengthening critical value chains and advancing inclusive growth.”
Nathalie Akon, IFC Division Director for West Africa Gulf of Guinea, said, “Cocoa is central to Ghana’s development story. It anchors rural incomes, supports export revenues, and sustains millions of livelihoods,” said “Our partnership with Access Bank will help local buying companies secure the liquidity they need to purchase cocoa beans from smallholder farmers while promoting sustainability, climate-smart agriculture, and stronger rural economies.”
The initiative supports the Second Ghana Cocoa Sector Development Strategy (2017–2027). By expanding working capital financing for LBCs and incentivizing the procurement of traceable, certified cocoa, the program contributes to Ghana’s global competitiveness while addressing persistent sector challenges.
The broader program is expected to have direct, measurable impacts, including:
· Increased liquidity for LBCs during the peak purchasing season
· Stronger market access for farmers through greater demand for traceable and certified cocoa
· Enhanced environmental and social practices through sustainable sourcing requirements
· Improved rural livelihoods as smallholder farmers benefit from more reliable and timely payments
The initiative is a key part of IFC’s broader effort to scale sustainable cocoa financing in Ghana, where IFC signed a similar financing agreement with Société Générale in 2025.
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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About GAFSP
The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a global effort that pools donor resources to fund programs focused on increasing agricultural productivity as a way to reduce poverty and increase food and nutrition security. The Private Sector Window, administered by the IFC and supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, provides long- and short-term loans, credit guarantees, capital and technical assistance to private sector companies and financial intermediaries. It links smallholder farmers to markets by improving their access to finance, technology, expertise, and inputs.
About Access Bank Ghana Plc
Access Bank (Ghana) Plc is a leading full-service universal bank offering banking services to Retail, Corporate, Commercial, and Institutional clients. Operating from more than 700 branches and service outlets in 22 countries in Africa and the rest of the world including the UAE, UK, Hong Kong, and France along with three representative offices in China, India, and Lebanon, Access Bank is committed to setting standards for sustainable business practices that unleash the talents of employees, deliver superior value to customers, and provide innovative solutions for the markets and communities it serves.
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