Development Bank of Nigeria Achieves Major Milestone in MSME Financing
Since its establishment, the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has disbursed over N1 trillion to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), impacting more than 1 million end-borrowers nationwide and creating over 1.6 million jobs. This noteworthy achievement highlights the bank’s critical role in bolstering the country’s economic landscape.
Five-Year Growth Strategy Announced
This revelation was shared during a press conference held in June 2026, where DBN unveiled an ambitious five-year growth strategy designed to enhance access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises while promoting greater economic inclusion.
Gender and Youth Inclusion in Financing
During the event in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, the Managing Director of DBN, emphasized that 77% of the bank’s beneficiaries are women, while 28% of the funding has been directed toward youth-led businesses. This focus on gender and youth inclusion is vital for fostering diversified economic growth.
Support for Economically Disadvantaged Regions
Okpanachi also revealed that N108 billion has been disbursed to over 132,000 MSMEs in economically disadvantaged states, including Borno, Adamawa, Katsina, Yobe, and Zamfara. This initiative showcases DBN’s dedication to addressing disparities in access to financial resources across Nigeria.
Expanding Lending Through Partnerships
The Development Bank has significantly expanded its lending capabilities through collaboration with 84 participating financial institutions, including commercial banks, microfinance banks, and merchant banks. In 2025 alone, DBN allocated more than N358 billion to over 289,000 beneficiaries, with 81% being women and 17% from youth-led enterprises.
Training and Technical Assistance for MSMEs
Beyond lending, DBN has trained over 52,000 MSMEs nationwide and provided technical assistance to more than 20 financial institutions, aimed at enhancing their capacity to support small and medium enterprises. This comprehensive approach underscores the bank’s commitment to empowering businesses at all levels.
Aiming for a Stronger Future
Looking ahead, DBN aims to increase its loan portfolio to N1 trillion and raise guarantee issuances to N500 billion while reaching more than 2 million MSMEs in the next five years. The bank plans to mobilize N1.3 trillion in new debt and equity capital, facilitating the creation of 2 million direct and indirect jobs and targeting cumulative pre-tax profits of around N300 billion during this period.
Inclusivity Targets and Sustainable Lending
As part of its inclusion strategy, DBN has set ambitious targets, ensuring that 40% of loans are allocated to women-led businesses and 30% to youth-led enterprises. Additionally, the bank aims for 15% of loans to support underrepresented regions and priority states. In alignment with its sustainability goals, DBN also intends to boost its green lending from N75 billion to N100 billion and expand its MSME training programs to reach a total of 500,000 beneficiaries.
Foundation of Development and Financial Inclusion
Established in November 2017 as a wholesale development financial institution, DBN’s mission is to improve access to financing for Nigeria’s underserved MSME sector through qualified financial intermediaries. The bank’s ongoing developments illustrate its commitment to fostering a more inclusive and sustainable economic environment.
