National Credit Guarantee Company Limited: Powering Inclusive Growth Through Risk-Sharing Guarantees

The National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (“NCGC” or the “Company”) is set to commence operations on July 1, 2025, as a specialised financial institution established to unlock access to credit and drive inclusive economic growth across Nigeria’s real economy.

With an initial capital commitment of ₦100 billion, recently announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NCGC is positioned to reshape how Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturers, and strategic sectors access much-needed financing.

For decades, Nigerian businesses especially micro, small and medium scale enterprises have faced significant challenges accessing loans due to collateral barriers and high-risk perception. NCGC is bridging that gap.

By providing partial credit coverage, the company will offer banks and other financial institutions a safety net, allowing them to lend more confidently to eligible borrowers, particularly in underserved and high-growth sectors.

NCGC does not lend directly to businesses. Instead, it partners with Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) including commercial banks, microfinance banks, fintechs, CBN-licensed institutions and other development financial institutions to share lending risk and support broader financial inclusion.

The model is simple but powerful: enable lenders to do more by reducing the risk that prevents them from reaching viable, underfunded borrowers.

Key Beneficiaries

NCGC’s framework targets a wide range of beneficiaries:

*MSMEs across all regions

*Local manufacturers and value chain operators

*Credit consumers

*Youth and women-led enterprises

*Export-oriented and non-interest-based businesses

*Large enterprises within priority sectors

Our Core Services

NCGC offers three primary services:

*Partial Credit Guarantees – Covering up to 60% of outstanding principal on qualifying loans.

*Co-Guarantees – Collaborating with other institutions to jointly share lending risk.

*Technical Assistance – Providing capacity-building support for lenders and borrowers to enhance credit readiness and portfolio quality.

Guiding Principles

The company’s operations are underpinned by globally accepted credit risk-sharing principles:

*Risk-sharing, not risk transfer

*Strategic issuance to preserve borrower discipline

*Tiered eligibility to promote inclusion and developmental impact

*Full alignment with CBN regulations

These principles ensure every guarantee issued is responsible, irrevocable, and impact-driven.

Product Suite

NCGC offers a diverse set of guarantee products:

*Individual Guarantees – For high-value, project-specific loans.

*Portfolio Guarantees – For pool of loans in homogeneous sectors (e.g., agro-processing, creative economy).

*Performance Bond Guarantees – For businesses seeking to meet contract-based obligations.

Sectoral Coverage

Our guarantees are available across critical sectors including:

*Agriculture & Agribusiness – From inputs to processing and logistics.

*Renewable Energy & Green Economy – Including solar, clean tech, and mini-grids.

*Manufacturing & Infrastructure – Targeting value-added production and light industry.

*Digital & Tech Enterprises – Including startups, fintechs, SaaS, and logistics tech.

*Solid Minerals and Metal – Metal fabrication, recycling, beneficiation, coating, etc.

*Textile – Fashion, leather works, jewelry

*Export-Oriented SMEs – Especially in non-oil sectors.

*Women & Youth Enterprises – Including all women-owned businesses (promoter age not more than age 65).

*Islamic Enterprises (coming soon) – Non-interest, Shariah-compliant financing models.

A New Era of Credit Confidence

NCGC is more than just a financial institution; it is a catalyst for Nigeria’s economic transformation. By incentivizing lenders to serve more businesses safely and sustainably, NCGC is enabling job creation, driving productivity, and fostering a more self-reliant economy.

Its operational model is built to:

*Unlock access to finance for real sector growth

*Create jobs and alleviate poverty

*Drive inclusive economic outcomes

*Strengthen the MSME ecosystem

*Build trust and scale in Nigeria’s credit markets