By Faridat Salifu
Access Bank Ghana Plc and the International Finance Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy USD 134 million in financing to Ghana’s cocoa value chain through a risk-sharing arrangement aimed at easing liquidity constraints faced by Licensed Buying Companies.
The agreement, announced on Friday, January 23, 2026, targets the financing gap confronting LBCs, which serve as critical intermediaries between smallholder cocoa farmers and international markets.
By improving access to affordable credit and strengthening liquidity during the purchasing season, the partnership seeks to enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability across a sector that supports more than 800,000 farming households nationwide.
The facility is structured as an unfunded risk-participation arrangement under which the IFC, drawing on its own resources and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, will provide up to USD 67 million in risk coverage.
This support allows Access Bank Ghana to double its lending capacity and extend a total of USD 134 million in credit to seven leading Licensed Buying Companies.
The structure is designed to ease regulatory capital constraints and single-obligor limits that have traditionally restricted local banks from lending at the scale required by the cocoa sector.
The signing ceremony in Accra was attended by the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Matilda Asante-Asiedu, who described the risk-sharing scheme as a strategic intervention to strengthen national economic resilience.
She said ensuring the liquidity of LBCs is critical to stabilising rural incomes, supporting cocoa production, and reinforcing the resilience of the cedi and the wider economy.
Access Bank Ghana Managing Director Pearl Nkrumah said the facility would help unlock liquidity for LBCs, improve traceability in the cocoa supply chain, and encourage more sustainable sourcing practices.
She added that the bank remains committed to scaling financing responsibly while ensuring timely payments to farmers and financial stability across the cocoa ecosystem.
IFC Division Director for West Africa, Natalie Kouassi Akon, said the partnership reflects the need to transform agriculture into a driver of job creation and inclusive economic growth.
She said the financing would help buying companies purchase cocoa beans from smallholder farmers while promoting sustainability, climate-smart agriculture, and stronger rural economies.
The agreement also places emphasis on traceability, with funding expected to support compliance with evolving global standards, including Rainforest Alliance certification and the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
