Stanbic Bank Ghana has strengthened its partnership with the International Finance Corporation and Mastercard to expand access to finance and digital solutions for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana.

The collaboration is expected to deepen financial inclusion and support job creation by helping women entrepreneurs scale their businesses.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, Kwamina Asomaning, said  the partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between the bank and IFC that helped strengthen Stanbic Ghana’s capital base and supported its growth in earlier years.

“IFC provided Stanbic Ghana with Tier Two capital at a time when our balance sheet was very small. That support helped us grow, and today we are able to partner with IFC and Mastercard to drive initiatives that support SMEs, particularly women-owned businesses,” he said.

Senior Country Manager for IFC Ghana and Liberia, Kyle Kelhofer says the agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing collaboration between IFC and Stanbic Bank in developing financial solutions for businesses.

 “This is another milestone in our strategic partnership with Stanbic Bank Ghana. Today we are taking that partnership a step further by focusing on gender finance and supporting women entrepreneurs who play a critical role in Ghana’s economic growth.”

Country Manager for Mastercard in Ghana, Folasade Femi-Lawal, said empowering women entrepreneurs is essential to strengthening Ghana’s economy.

 “Women-owned SMEs are proven drivers of economic resilience, yet many still face barriers to accessing finance. Through this partnership, we are working to ensure women-led businesses can access the financial tools and digital infrastructure needed to grow.”

The partners say the collaboration will strengthen financial inclusion by expanding financing opportunities and supporting the growth of women-led enterprises across Ghana.