African Guarantee Fund

AGF’s interim Group CEO, Mr. Constant N’ZI paid a courtesy call on Kenya’s foreign affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’Oei at his office.

The meeting focused on strides made by the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) in unlocking catalytic capital in Africa.

Mr. N’ZI also commended the PS on the recently hosted Africa - France Summit hosted in Nairobi where AGF also took part in.

The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) held its Q1 board meeting and its annual board retreat in Mauritius from 14th to 16th April 2026. The successful 3-day event, led by AGF’s Chairman Felix Adahi BIKPO reflected on the performance of the activities of AGF for the first quarter and allowed for intense and fruitful discussions on various strategic and critical topics driving the growth of the Company in maintaining its position as the leading guarantee fund in Africa.

The management team, under the leadership of the Interim Group CEO, Constant N'ZI, assisted the board during the workshops held together with the support of technical experts.

The retreat allowed for the Board to reflect on AGF’s impact journey so far and to chart the way for the year ahead.

AGF’s interventions continued to deliver strong, measurable impact, with notable year-on-year improvements across key portfolio indicators. In the most recent numbers, AGF has mobilized over USD 6.8 billion in financing, issued USD 2.75 billion in guarantees, and, in turn, created 629,700 jobs.

Overall, the 2025 results demonstrate AGF’s ability to scale its impact effectively across the 44 African countries in which we operate.

Yesterday marked a significant milestone as the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) officially launched a transformative Capacity Development (CD) programme.

Through the NSE Ibuka Programme and the AFAWA initiative, this partnership is focused on a mission to bridging the financing gap for women-led SMEs (WSMEs) and positioning them for long-term success.
The Ibuka Programme aims to support up to 1,000 SMEs over a five-year horizon. A key objective of Phase I is to enable at least 50 WSMEs to successfully raise capital through the NSE.
The programme will take a holistic ecosystem approach, where it integrates capacity building, advisory services, and market linkages to ensure these enterprises become truly investor-ready.

Implementation is delivered through a structured, phased, a cohort-based model:
• Pre-assessment and selection
• Structured training across five thematic clusters
• Deep-dive diagnostics and enterprise assessments

This collaboration is about impact, and by building a pipeline of investor-ready WSMEs, we are:
• Deepening Kenya’s capital markets.
• Advancing financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment.

This partnership solidifies the NSE and AGF as key enablers in fostering sustainable business growth and catalyzing long-term economic development today and in the future.

Water is more than a resource, it is an economic driver, a livelihood enabler, and a foundation for sustainable growth.
This World Water Day, AGF reaffirms its commitment to the Blue Economy as a key thematic area, advancing sustainable use of water resources while supporting SMEs, strengthening livelihoods, and safeguarding ecosystems.
Protecting water today means securing opportunity for tomorrow.

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AGF is recruiting for a Senior Internal Controller. This is an exciting opportunity to join a pan-African institution!

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Not every career shift comes with certainty.

For many people, the move from corporate into entrepreneurship is filled with unknowns and often, years of trial, error and adaptability.

That has been the reality for Agnes Wambui, owner of Bake Bites Limited.

Over the past eight years, her journey has been shaped by both highs and lows. She has learned firsthand that building a business is a completely different challenge unlike the structured, clearly defined progression of corporate environments. Today, she leads a growing team of about 30 employees.

Agnes has been able to strengthen Bake Bites Limited's operations, scale its production line and position the business to access additional financing. This was made possible through capacity building programs led by Grassroots Business Fund with backing from the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative.

For Agnes, the most meaningful moments are not just in growth metrics, but in seeing her employees happy, thriving and supported, knowing the business she built sustains livelihoods and helps put food on tables across communities. And she’s not stopping there. With her sights set on expanding into more towns across Kenya and seeing Bake Bites products on major supermarket shelves, her journey is still unfolding... with impact at its core.

This International Women’s Month under the theme highlights a powerful truth: when women are given the right support, their impact extends far beyond their own success.

For us at AGF, this impact is reflected in the journey of MO Solutions, founded by Maureen Onyango.

Through AGF's Capacity Development support, which was implemented by SME Support Center under the AFAWA initiative, Maureen has grown her enterprise into a platform connecting farmers to markets across Eastern Africa.

Today, MO Solutions works with over 2,500 farmers, supporting value chains in sorghum, soy beans, maize, coffee, avocado and other agricultural products, while paying farmers over KES 40 million. The business has also contributed to over 1,500 jobs across Eastern Africa, including 500 in Kenya.

But beyond the numbers is a story of resilience and vision. Maureen is passionate about encouraging the next generation of women entrepreneurs to think boldly and act creatively.

Her message to young women is clear, "Be daring, innovate and pursue opportunities with confidence."

We believe that empowering women entrepreneurs through programmes like AFAWA means strengthening businesses, livelihoods and communities. It is a reminder that when we give women access to opportunity, knowledge, and support, everyone gains.

African Development Bank Group

Happy International Women's Day