By By Elizabeth Ugbo
President Bola Tinubu has commended the Bank of Industry (BOI) for disbursing a record N636 billion to businesses in 2025, the highest annual financing in the bank’s history.
The President gave the commendation on Thursday in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja, stating that the milestone reflects the success of his administration’s economic reform agenda. He said the funds were released to support businesses across key sectors nationwide, demonstrating how macroeconomic reforms are strengthening development finance institutions and expanding access to long-term capital.
Tinubu said the N636 billion financing boosted productive capacity across Nigeria, supporting agro-processing, manufacturing, infrastructure, extractive industries and services. Agro-allied enterprises received the largest share of N202 billion, followed by infrastructure (N100 billion), manufacturing (N79 billion), extractive industries (N77 billion) and services (N55 billion). An additional N73 billion was deployed through managed and matching funds.
The financing reached over 7,000 enterprises, including large firms, SMEs, micro and nano businesses. Large enterprises received N375 billion, SMEs N178 billion, nano enterprises N51 billion and micro businesses N32 billion. BOI’s interventions reportedly created and retained about 1.6 million jobs and supported 570 startups.
Under the Federal Government’s N200 billion MSME intervention programme, BOI achieved over 95 per cent performance as the disbursing institution, while the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme reached 957,400 beneficiaries in 2025.
Women-owned businesses accessed funding under the N10 billion Guaranteed Loans for Women Programme, youth-owned enterprises received N12 billion, and 880 rural enterprises benefited from N6.5 billion under the Rural Area Programme on Investment for Development.
The bank also financed strategic projects, including expansion of a tomato processing facility, deployment of 100 mini-grids connecting 11,777 customers, and digital innovation programmes supporting startups and youths.
BOI maintained a non-performing loan ratio below 1.5 per cent and secured additional international funding to strengthen its lending capacity. Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding credit access to drive industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.
