Standard Chartered and British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, have renewed their commitment to supporting trade finance in frontier and emerging markets across Africa and South Asia with a USD350 million risk participation agreement. The facility aims to empower small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger corporates in these regions, enhancing economic growth through improved access to trade finance.
This partnership, which first launched in 2013, has since enabled over USD10 billion in trade volumes across more than ten countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. In the past year alone, the facility has supported approximately USD450 million in trade activities.
The expanded facility will cover additional markets within Africa and South Asia, enabling increased trade finance access across various sectors—ranging from food and agriculture to technology, healthcare, and telecoms. It aligns with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), and Responsible Consumption & Production (SDG 12).
UK Development Minister Anneliese Dodds lauded the renewed partnership, emphasising its potential to support SMEs and corporates delivering essential goods and services across these high-growth regions. “Trade plays an important role in economic transformation, and this risk-sharing facility demonstrates how BII can work with financial institutions to support our shared development objectives,” Dodds commented.
BII CEO Nick O’Donohoe highlighted the transformative impact of the facility, which has “empowered businesses and facilitated the vital flow of essential goods and services.” Saif Malik, CEO of Standard Chartered UK, echoed this sentiment, stressing the facility’s role in “connecting the world’s most dynamic markets in trade, investment and capital flows.”
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