The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is backing value chains in the agribusiness sectors of two west African countries with a €70 million loan to Valency International, the bank said in a statement. The money will help Valency International cover its working capital needs, letting it buy cashew, soya beans, cocoa, and sesame in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria for processing and export. The funds will also help the company grow its operations and buy more from local farmers.
Part of the investment will help Valency International use more of its recently opened cashew processing facility in Côte d’Ivoire. This shows the company’s focus on local production, job creation, and better market access for smallholder suppliers. At the same time, Valency International will improve its climate governance practices, backed by technical cooperation that the EBRD is partly funding. This will help the company build stronger climate risk management and sustainability standards.
“The EBRD’s first investments in the food and agribusiness sectors of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria mark an important step in our work in sub-Saharan Africa,” said EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso. “Agriculture is central to livelihoods and economic opportunity in both countries, and our support will help create jobs, empower rural communities, and foster sustainable, inclusive growth.”
Sumit Jain, Valency International’s Group CEO, said the loan backs Valency’s next growth phase.
“We value the EBRD partnership and the support to embed an ambitious corporate climate governance program aligned with global reporting expectations.”
Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria became EBRD shareholders and economies of operation in 2025. In both countries, the bank plans to invest in infrastructure that supports private-sector development, back enterprise modernization, and help institutional economic governance.
