The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a €70 million loan to Valency International to strengthen agricultural value chains in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

The financing will support Valency’s working capital needs, enabling the procurement of key agro-commodities — including cashew, soya beans, cocoa and sesame — for processing and export. The investment is expected to scale up sourcing from local farmers, enhancing competitiveness and resilience in both countries’ agribusiness sectors.

Expanding cashew processing in Côte d’Ivoire

A significant portion of the loan will increase utilisation of Valency’s recently commissioned cashew processing facility in Côte d’Ivoire. The move reinforces the company’s commitment to local value addition, job creation and improved market access for smallholder farmers.

By processing more cashew domestically rather than exporting raw nuts, the initiative supports broader efforts across West Africa to retain more value within producing economies.

Climate governance and sustainability

Alongside operational expansion, Valency will strengthen its corporate climate governance practices. Dedicated technical cooperation — part-funded by the EBRD — will help the company enhance climate risk management and align sustainability reporting with global standards.

Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the EBRD, described the transaction as a milestone in the Bank’s growing engagement in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The EBRD’s first investments in the food and agribusiness sectors of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria represent an important milestone in our engagement in sub-Saharan Africa,” she said, noting that agriculture remains central to livelihoods and economic opportunity in both countries.

Sumit Jain, Group CEO of Valency International, added that the facility supports the company’s next growth phase while embedding a stronger corporate climate governance framework.

EBRD’s expansion in West Africa

Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria became EBRD shareholders and economies of operation in 2025. In both markets, the Bank’s strategy focuses on:

• Investing in sustainable critical infrastructure
• Supporting enterprise modernisation and efficiency
• Strengthening economic governance

The €70 million loan marks a significant step in deepening private-sector development and promoting climate-resilient agricultural growth in two of West Africa’s largest economies.