Access Holdings Plc has expanded its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) financing initiatives, onboarding 78,438 MSMEs onto its platforms in 2025. The financial services group has been leveraging digital channels to improve access to finance and other financial services across its operating markets. This strategic move aims to address the financing and operational needs of small businesses.
The group's MSME strategy combines banking, digital payments, app-based lending and business advisory services. Women-owned businesses received N34.2 billion in financing during the year, highlighting the group's focus on extending credit to enterprises that have traditionally faced barriers to formal financing. This initiative underscores Access Holdings' commitment to supporting small businesses, particularly those owned by women.
Access Holdings' MSME Toolkit and related programmes provide training and advisory support designed to improve entrepreneurs' business management capabilities. The group combines conventional banking services with digital payment and credit solutions. Access Bank provides accounts, trade services and working capital financing, while Hydrogen Payment Services supports merchants with digital payment infrastructure.
Oxygen X Finance provides app-based credit to entrepreneurs, enabling the Group to reach businesses that may have limited access to traditional branch-based lending. The integration of these services gives small businesses access to finance alongside payment infrastructure and other financial tools. This approach also creates transaction records that can potentially support future credit assessments.
The group's MSME programmes extend beyond lending, with training and advisory services intended to strengthen entrepreneurs' ability to manage cash flow, plan for expansion and improve business operations. For Access Holdings, the expansion of MSME financing represents both a financial inclusion initiative and an opportunity to diversify its loan portfolio across a large number of small businesses.
MSMEs remain an important segment of African economies, providing employment and supporting economic activity across sectors. However, many small businesses continue to operate outside the formal financial system, limiting their access to credit, payment infrastructure and other financial services. Digital platforms can help reduce some of the costs associated with reaching geographically dispersed businesses and processing relatively small loans.
The performance of the MSME portfolio will provide an indication of whether digital lending can deliver scale while maintaining appropriate credit-risk controls. The longer-term commercial impact of the strategy will depend on the quality of the loans generated, repayment performance, sustained lending growth and the ability of financed businesses to improve their capacity and remain viable.
Key points
- Access Holdings has disbursed N34.2bn to women-owned businesses.
- The group has onboarded 78,438 MSMEs onto its financing platforms in 2025.
- Access Holdings' MSME strategy combines banking, digital payments, app-based lending and business advisory services.
