GCB Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women entre­preneurs across the ECOWAS region during a high-level panel at a side-event jointly organised by ECOWAS and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the In­tra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers.

Speaking on the panel, Mr Abdulsalam Alhassan, Head, Wholesale and Investment Banking at GCB Bank, outlined both the challenges faced by women-led businesses and the concrete steps the Bank was taking to address them.

He emphasised that women entrepreneurs remained critical to the growth and transformation of African economies, but they con­tinue to face barriers in accessing affordable financing and building sustainable enterprises.

As part of GCB Bank’s strategic interventions, Mr Alhassan said the bank was establishing specialised desks within to prioritise financing and advisory support for women entrepreneurs.

“The Bank is actively engaging DFIs to access cheaper sources of funding and to de-risk lending to women-owned businesses and SMEs. A new incubator pro­gramme is to be set up to build capacity, strengthen business struc­tures, and enhance the competi­tiveness of women-led enterpris­es,” he said.

Mr Alhassan stressed the impor­tance of developing home-grown solutions and fostering collabo­ration across the region, urging stakeholders to learn from each other’s experiences to build a more inclusive and resilient economic ecosystem.

“GCB Bank’s interventions reflect its long-standing com­mitment to financial inclusion, enterprise growth, and national development. By championing women-led businesses, the Bank aims to unlock new opportunities for entrepreneurship, job creation, and sustainable growth in Ghana and across West Africa,” he said.