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Zedvance has announced a major strategic repositioning aimed at strengthening financing access for Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), revealing that 100 per cent of its active loan portfolio will now be channelled toward SMEs and critical business ecosystem enablers.
The announcement was made by the Group Managing Director of Zedcrest Group, parent company of Zedvance, Adedayo Amzat, during the Zedvance Business Roundtable themed “Unlocking Growth: The Role of Smart Financing in Building Resilient Businesses.”
The event convened business executives, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and economic stakeholders to discuss how smart financing models and sector-focused lending can support sustainable growth amid Nigeria’s changing macroeconomic environment.
Zedvance Shifts Focus to Mid-Market Growth
Speaking during his keynote address, Amzat stressed that while large corporate transactions and Initial Public Offerings often dominate headlines, Nigeria’s real economic engine lies within mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
“The people gathered in this room, and the ecosystems you represent, are the true drivers of the Nigerian economy,” he said, acknowledging the resilience of entrepreneurs navigating inflationary pressures, limited financing access, and operational uncertainty.
He noted that many businesses continue to face significant obstacles in securing affordable financing, accessing land capital, and building the infrastructure required for expansion.
According to Amzat, Zedvance’s latest financing strategy seeks to directly address these longstanding gaps through ecosystem-led interventions and smarter capital deployment.
Ecosystem Financing Model to Drive Business Resilience
To navigate persistent credit risks within Nigeria’s business environment, the company is introducing what Amzat described as ecosystem-linked financing solutions — a model built around structured partnerships with corporate aggregators to improve access to liquidity across sectors such as agriculture, automotive distribution, and energy.
The approach is designed to strengthen financing for clustered operators and improve risk assessment by embedding lending within existing value chains.
Explaining the concept, Amzat said the objective is to grow industries collectively rather than forcing businesses to compete for shrinking opportunities.
“If you are in the automotive ecosystem, for example, how do we work together to make the entire ecosystem more productive? The goal is to expand the market so individual businesses can grow sustainably,” he said.
The model reflects broader trends in compliance management, financial compliance, and smarter risk mitigationstrategies increasingly shaping Nigeria’s lending ecosystem, particularly for underserved enterprises.
N500bn Capital Deployment Planned Over 18 Months
The roundtable also marked the launch of Zedvance’s ambitious 18-month growth agenda.
Moving beyond its traditional focus on retail consumer lending, the company disclosed plans to deploy N500 billiontoward scaling productive and growth-focused enterprises.
Amzat revealed that active loans account for virtually all assets held on the company’s balance sheet, aside from physical infrastructure.
“Over the next 18 months, we are deploying N500bn to deepen our support for growth-ready enterprises,” he said.
He explained that financing productive businesses creates a multiplier effect on employment, production, and distribution, delivering significantly greater macroeconomic value than short-term consumer lending.
“A business loan enables enterprises to scale production, create jobs, and expand output — multiplying economic impact at a much broader level,” he added.
Amzat further assured entrepreneurs that accessing financing should not require navigating overly rigid commercial banking systems.
According to him, Zedcrest Group maintains access to robust local and international funding channels, with the company focused on designing the right credit frameworks to ensure faster capital deployment.
Smart Financing Takes Centre Stage Across Key Sectors
The roundtable featured three expert-led panel discussions exploring sector-specific financing opportunities and economic resilience.
The first session focused on Food and Health Systems, examining bottlenecks affecting agricultural supply chains and healthcare distribution networks.
Industry leaders highlighted the importance of structured financing for smallholder farmers and production networks, arguing that direct funding to clustered producers can reduce market inefficiencies, stabilise supply chains, and curb food inflation.
Panelists emphasised that resilient food systems depend heavily on funding models capable of reaching the root of production.
Another session addressed the rapidly changing energy sector, particularly the rising operational burden businesses face following fuel subsidy reforms.
Experts at the session stressed that businesses must rethink energy strategies to remain competitive, noting that tailored financing for renewable energy infrastructure and commercial solar systems is becoming increasingly essential.
“Smart financing for renewable energy is no longer optional — it is now critical for business continuity,” panelists noted.
The discussion also reflected growing interest in RegTech solutions, compliance technology, and financing structures capable of supporting sustainable business operations while improving long-term resilience.
Policy Reforms Could Improve Financing Conditions
The event concluded with discussions around Nigeria’s evolving fiscal and monetary landscape, including fuel subsidy removal, tax reforms, and foreign exchange liberalisation.
While acknowledging the pressure of tight monetary policy and elevated borrowing costs on manufacturers, Amzat expressed optimism that inflationary pressures would eventually ease, creating better financing conditions for businesses.
He highlighted domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy as priority sectors requiring targeted funding to reduce exposure to foreign exchange volatility.
Closing the session, Amzat reiterated that Zedvance’s growth remains directly linked to the success of its customers.
“Our products are data-driven and structured around objective frameworks. We only succeed when our customers succeed,” he said.
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