IFC–FMO–Coris Bank SME Credit Line — A $10 Million Bet on Chadian Small Business Lending

In 2024, IFC and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO announced a partnership with Coris Group to expand access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the Sahel, building on Coris Bank's existing regional network.

The facility aims to expand SME lending in Chad, one of the world's least-banked economies, and to embed a gender-lending target directly into the loan structure.

In Chad specifically, an IFC information note published in May 2026 detailed a proposed package of up to $10 million for Coris Bank International Chad — $5 million funded directly by IFC alongside a syndicated loan from other partners — structured as a five-year senior loan aimed at extending longer-term credit to MSMEs in trade, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing. At least 15% of the financing is contractually earmarked for businesses owned or led by women.

As a proposed and recently structured financing line rather than a completed multi-year programme, there is not yet independent evidence of loans disbursed or jobs created; Chad's private banking sector remains thin, and independent Africa business outlets covering the deal (Ecofin Agency, Financial Afrik) note it as one of relatively few dedicated MSME credit lines reaching the country to date.