Ecobank Cameroon, a subsidiary of the Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) group, announced on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, that it had provided over $2 million in financing to women entrepreneurs, as well as to women-led or women-focused businesses, within a one-year period. According to Gwendoline Abunaw, Managing Director of Ecobank Cameroon and Head of the Cemac cluster, these statistics have been recorded since the opening of the Ellevate by Ecobank agency in March 2024. "At least 1,600 women entrepreneurs, businesses, and associations have directly benefited from financial support of over 1.2 billion FCFA (US$2 million). Cameroonian businesswomen have already been able to measure the immense value of the pan-African Ellevate by Ecobank program, dedicated to African women entrepreneurs," she said during the presentation in Douala of an improved version of this program. This financing brings the total amount of funds granted to target businesses to over 3 billion FCFA since the program was launched in 2021. According to the bank's leaders, the new version of the program, dubbed "Ellevate 2.0", was launched in response to the success of the initial version. It aims to expand its reach to touch a larger number of beneficiaries by offering an extended range of financial and non-financial solutions tailored to women entrepreneurs. The goal is to improve their cash flow management and enable them to benefit from value-added services such as training, networking opportunities, and access to loans at favorable interest rates. According to Ecobank Cameroon, this program provides access to financing with unsecured loans of up to $50,000.These funds are being provided in a context where SMEs, particularly those owned by women, struggle to find funding for their development. According to World Bank studies and government data, women lead 23% of manufacturing SMEs in Cameroon, although they make up 51% of the population. More broadly, they are responsible for 38% of businesses in the country, with a strong presence in very small businesses (39%) and lower participation in large businesses

Christelle koambi