By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) Bank Plc announced ambitious new measures to support women entrepreneurs across West Africa during the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Algiers last week, positioning itself as a leader in gender-inclusive banking across emerging markets.
Speaking on a high-level panel jointly organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abdulsalam Alhassan, Head of Wholesale and Investment Banking at GCB Bank, outlined concrete steps the institution is implementing to address financing barriers facing women-led enterprises.
The announcement comes as the fourth edition of IATF 2025, held in Algiers from September 4-10, brought together African financial institutions and development partners to discuss trade facilitation and economic inclusion across the continent.
Alhassan emphasized that women entrepreneurs drive economic transformation in Africa but continue facing systemic obstacles in accessing capital and scaling their operations. The bank’s response includes establishing dedicated business units specifically designed to prioritize women-owned enterprises, marking a strategic shift in how traditional banks approach gender-inclusive lending.
The initiative centers on four strategic pillars that differentiate GCB’s approach from competitors. The bank plans to create specialized desks within its operations exclusively focused on women entrepreneurs, providing both financing and advisory services tailored to their unique business challenges.
Partnership agreements with Development Finance Institutions represent another key component, enabling GCB to access lower-cost funding sources and reduce lending risks associated with women-owned small and medium enterprises. This approach addresses the fundamental challenge of expensive capital that often prevents women from expanding their businesses.
A dedicated incubator program for women-led SMEs will provide capacity building, business structure enhancement, and competitiveness development. The program aims to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial ambition and sustainable business operations that many women face when transitioning from informal to formal business structures.
GCB Bank, Ghana’s largest indigenous financial institution with 185 branches, leverages its extensive network to reach women entrepreneurs in both urban and rural communities. The bank’s infrastructure advantage positions it uniquely to implement gender-inclusive banking at scale across Ghana and potentially throughout the ECOWAS region.
Alhassan stressed the importance of developing locally-relevant solutions rather than importing models from other regions, advocating for collaboration among African stakeholders to build resilient economic ecosystems that work within the continent’s specific contexts.
The announcement aligns with broader continental efforts to increase women’s participation in formal economic activities. ECOWAS recently launched an empowerment program with Ecobank to support women traders through mentorship, financial access, and business training, particularly focusing on leveraging opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Industry analysts suggest GCB’s comprehensive approach could influence how other regional banks structure their gender-inclusive products. The combination of specialized units, development finance partnerships, and incubator programs represents a more holistic strategy than typical microfinance initiatives that have dominated women-focused banking in Africa.
The timing coincides with increasing recognition that women entrepreneurs represent significant untapped economic potential across emerging markets. Development institutions are prioritizing gender-inclusive financial services as essential components of sustainable economic growth strategies.
GCB’s initiative extends beyond traditional lending to address structural challenges that prevent women from accessing mainstream banking services. The advisory component acknowledges that capital alone insufficient without accompanying business development support and mentorship opportunities.
Established in 1953 and listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange since 1996, GCB Bank has positioned itself as a development-focused institution that balances commercial viability with social impact objectives.
The success of this initiative could establish new benchmarks for gender-inclusive banking across West Africa, potentially influencing policy frameworks and banking regulations throughout the region. Other financial institutions are likely monitoring GCB’s approach as they develop their own strategies for reaching underserved women entrepreneurs.
Early implementation phases will focus on Ghana before expanding regionally, allowing GCB to refine its model and demonstrate measurable impact before scaling operations across ECOWAS member states.
