The Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, in partnership with the Ghana Investment Support Programme, has held a two-day workshop for SME portfolio managers from banks across Ghana as part of efforts to strengthen capacity-building and inclusive lending towards the small and medium-sized enterprise sector.
The workshop, held on 15 and 16 October 2026 at CIB Ghana in Accra, brought together professionals from banks and selected finance houses to deepen their understanding of contemporary approaches to SME financing.
Reflecting on the programme, one participant noted that one of the challenges in financing SMEs was assessing businesses that may be viable but do not always have the financial records or structures traditionally relied upon for credit decisions. The participant said the workshop had given attendees practical approaches to look more closely at cash flows, the business model and other indicators of viability, adding that the insights would be taken back to their institutions to strengthen how SMEs are assessed and to structure financing that better responds to their needs.
SMEs constitute an important component of Ghana’s economy, supporting employment, innovation and economic growth, yet challenges including weak financial records, inadequate governance, poor cash-flow management and limited investment readiness continue to constrain access to finance. Against this background, the workshop focused on strengthening financing opportunities and developing lending approaches that are both commercially sound and responsive to emerging sustainability and inclusion considerations. Participants were taken through practical areas including SME business models, inclusive product design, governance and risk assessment, climate risk and green SME financing, credit assessment, cash-flow-based lending, gender-smart finance and inclusive investment.
The programme adopted an interactive approach combining expert presentations, practical case studies, experience sharing and group discussions, enabling participants to relate the concepts to real lending and portfolio-management situations within their institutions. It forms part of a broader CIB Ghana and GhISP initiative aimed at improving the quality of SME lending, enhancing financial inclusion and encouraging financial institutions to integrate climate considerations into lending decisions.
At the conclusion of the programme, participating institutions were encouraged to translate the lessons from the workshop into practical actions within their organisations, particularly in credit assessment, product development, portfolio management and engagement with SMEs.
Commenting on the expected impact, the Chief Executive Officer of CIB Ghana, Robert Dzato, said strengthening the capacity of financial institutions to adopt sound, inclusive and sustainable lending practices was essential to improving SMEs’ access to finance and supporting their long-term growth. He said CIB Ghana remained committed to equipping banking professionals with the knowledge and skills to make informed financing decisions that support SME development and Ghana’s economic growth.
The Accra workshop represents the first of two ecosystem workshops under the initiative, with the second scheduled to take place in Kumasi in November 2026. CIB Ghana is the professional body for the practice of banking in Ghana, established under the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana Act, 2019 (Act 991), with a mandate to promote the study of banking and regulate the practice of the banking profession. The Ghana Investment Support Programme is a technical assistance initiative powered by British International Investment and supported by SECO and Norfund, aimed at increasing investment flows to underserved SMEs in Ghana with a particular focus on gender, inclusion and climate investing, helping SMEs become investment-ready and connecting them to capital.