The Development Bank Ghana (DBG) has disbursed more than GH¢2.5 billion since its inception, with over 60% of the funding going to women-led and women-owned businesses.

Chief Executive Officer of DBG, Prof Randolph Nsor-Ambala, disclosed this on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition.

He said more than 50% of the bank’s total disbursements have also gone into agribusiness, agriculture and manufacturing.

“There are components of those disbursements that have gone into energy transition. There are components; about 40% of that disbursement has gone into micro, small, and medium enterprises.”

Prof Nsor-Ambala said the bank’s financing strategy targets sectors considered critical to Ghana’s economic transformation.

“This speaks to the heart of what Ghana requires to be able to achieve its aspiration around a massive industrialisation footprint.”

He said DBG has so far reached almost 1,000 businesses through its financing programmes.

About 50% of these businesses are located outside the Greater Accra Region.

“As we speak, we have a footprint in every region except one.”

Prof Nsor-Ambala explained that DBG’s interventions are based on studies and data on the sectors Ghana needs to transform its economy and create decent jobs.

“Our focus areas are essentially agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and what we call high-value services.”

He said the high-value services category includes education, health, transportation and tourism.

According to him, the sectors have significant growth potential but face market failures and financing constraints that require targeted interventions.

“They’ve got market failures and binding constraints that require deliberate interventions, and those interventions must be considered as a public good because they cannot necessarily be financed by private capital or money.”

On agriculture, Prof Nsor-Ambala said DBG’s investments are aimed at creating decent jobs, improving food security and reducing economic pressures linked to imports.

“We invest in agriculture for various reasons. Top among those reasons are around jobs that need to be created.”

He said the bank is also focused on achieving “upward social mobility and economic empowerment.”

DBG’s agricultural financing has targeted selected value chains, including maize, rice, cassava, sorghum and poultry.

“These are the areas that have taken a chunk of our investments because our analytics is that these contribute to our ability to achieve the very parameters that I’ve spoken about.”