Tinubu hails BOI over ₦636bn loan disbursement in 2025

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Bank of Industry (BOI) for disbursing ₦636 billion to Nigerian businesses in 2025, describing the feat as the highest annual loan disbursement in the bank’s history and evidence that his administration’s economic reforms are yielding results.

The President said the performance showed that macroeconomic reforms are strengthening development finance institutions and expanding access to long-term capital for productive sectors of the economy.

According to figures released by the presidency, the ₦636 billion was disbursed to over 7,000 enterprises nationwide. Of the total, ₦202 billion went to agro-allied enterprises, ₦100 billion to critical national infrastructure such as broadband, power, aviation and transportation, ₦79 billion to manufacturing, ₦77 billion to extractive industries, and ₦55 billion to the services sector.

In addition, BOI deployed ₦73 billion in managed and matching funds on behalf of state governments and institutional partners.

President Tinubu said the disbursement translated into increased productive capacity, financing agro-processing expansion, strengthening manufacturing output, supporting infrastructure delivery and empowering thousands of enterprises across the country.

“At a time of global financing constraints, Nigeria expanded access to long-term capital for its businesses. That is a direct outcome of reform, credibility and institutional discipline,” the President said.

A breakdown by business size showed that nano enterprises received ₦51 billion, micro businesses ₦32 billion, small and medium enterprises ₦178 billion, while large enterprises accounted for ₦375 billion.

Under the Federal Government’s ₦200 billion MSME intervention programme, BOI recorded over 95 per cent performance as the disbursing institution, while the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme reached 957,400 beneficiaries in 2025.

The bank’s financing activities also reportedly led to the creation and retention of about 1.6 million jobs, with support extended to more than 7,000 MSMEs and 570 startups during the year.

Inclusive financing initiatives recorded significant impact, with women-owned enterprises accessing credit through the ₦10 billion Guaranteed Loans for Women Programme, which provides up to ₦50 million per beneficiary. Youth-owned enterprises received ₦12 billion in financing, while 880 rural-based enterprises across the 36 states and the FCT accessed over ₦6.5 billion under the Rural Area Programme on Investment for Development.

Strategic interventions under the 2025 disbursement included upgrading a tomato processing facility from 3.1 to 10 metric tonnes per hour and linking 47,508 smallholder farmers to formal processing value chains. BOI also supported the deployment of 100 mini-grids in partnership with global development finance institutions, connecting 11,777 new customers to electricity and contributing to an estimated annual reduction of over 20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Through its Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme, 500 founders were prepared for investment, 100 technology ventures received funding, and 400 youths were trained through innovation initiatives targeting over 300,000 Nigerians.

The President also noted that BOI maintained strong asset quality, with a non-performing loan ratio below 1.5 per cent, and acknowledged the €2 billion syndicated facility secured in 2024, as well as an additional €210 million mobilised from international partners in 2025.

Tinubu further welcomed BOI’s designation as Nigeria’s first National Implementing Entity to the United Nations Adaptation Fund and its recognition for sustainable finance and financial inclusion, saying the achievements strengthened Nigeria’s global development finance standing.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding credit access to enterprises as part of a long-term strategy to accelerate industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.