Access Bank Ghana, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), set aside about GH¢1 billion in 2025 to support the operations of cocoa-licensed buying companies and value chain actors.

Pearl Nkrumah, Managing Director, Access Bank Ghana, said the support for cocoa purchasing, which started with a GH₵100 million budget five years ago, had increased to boost Ghana's exports and agricultural sector.

Cocoa, one of Ghana's main export crops, needed that push, she noted, adding that the Bank plans to extend support to cash crops, including cashew and shea.

Speaking with the media at an engagement in Kumasi, Ms Nkrumah indicated that the bank had an export desk to support farmers and value chain actors with trade lines that enable exporters to access foreign exchange into the country.

To further advance agriculture through the Mastercard Foundation, the Bank has disbursed loans to agribusinesses at a single-digit rate (4 per cent).

About 40 per cent of the customer base beneficiaries for the single-digit loan interest are from the Ashanti Region.

Ms Nkrumah said the Bank would continue to seek partners to support agricultural development, while pledging to intensify programmes aimed at fostering the growth of SMEs.

On environmental sustainability, Access Bank Ghana, through its initiatives, focuses on waste management, carbon reduction, green building, and energy solutions, aiming to achieve net-zero goals by 2027.

Key programmes include the “Waste is Useful” project (plastic recycling), tree-planting campaigns, and operations from an IFC-certified “EDGE” green head office that reduces energy and water consumption.

Ms Nkrumah said that, operating from over 50 business locations across Ghana, the Bank actively invests in initiatives that promote environmental conservation, community development, and social well-being in areas such as health, education, and business development, among others.