LAPO, WSBI Call For Inclusive Climate Finance To Reach Africa’s MSMEs, Women And Farmers

LAPO, WSBI Call for Inclusive Climate Finance to Reach Africa’s MSMEs, Women and Farmers Africa’s ability to withstand the growing economic impact of climate change will depend largely on how effectively financial institutions channel climate finance towards women, smallholder farmers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises MSMEs, experts have said. The call was made at the Africa Inclusive Climate Finance Conference 2026, convened in Lagos by LAPO Microfinance Bank in partnership with the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute WSBI.The conference, themed “Gender-Smart Finance for Climate-Smart Agriculture: Building Inclusive Rural Economies,” brought together financial institutions, regulators, development finance organisations, technology companies and private-sector stakeholders. Speaking at the event, LAPO Microfinance Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Cynthia Ikponmwosa, said climate change had become a financing challenge, particularly for communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture and informal economic activities. She stressed that climate resilience cannot be separated from financial inclusion, noting that women farmers, rural households and small businesses require appropriate capital to adapt to climate-related risks. Ikponmwosa urged financial institutions to move beyond conventional lending models and design financing products around the income patterns, vulnerabilities and opportunities of underserved communities.Peter Simon of WSBI highlighted the organisation’s long history of promoting inclusive financial services, stressing the importance of savings and retail banks in ensuring that climate finance reaches communities and businesses at the grassroots. He said Africa’s challenge was not simply to mobilise more capital but to ensure that available funding reaches the people and businesses most exposed to climate risks. According to him, inclusive finance must become part of Africa’s climate-resilience infrastructure. Stakeholders also identified digital finance and technology as important tools for expanding access to climate financing. Chidozie Arinze, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Western and Central Africa at Visa, said digital payments could help financial institutions reach underserved communities more efficiently while improving transparency, convenience and participation in the formal economy. He called for stronger partnerships and supportive policies to ensure that digitalisation translates into sustainable financial inclusion. Angela Omeiza, ESG Board Chairperson of LAPO Microfinance Bank, said gender-smart finance should go beyond simply creating financial products targeted at women. She said financial institutions must understand the specific risks women face and the economic activities through which they generate income, particularly in agriculture and informal markets. Omeiza maintained that financing should be designed to translate into greater resilience, productivity and sustainable livelihoods for women. Participants at the conference examined ways financial institutions could use climate-risk information to create practical financing solutions that help vulnerable communities prepare for and recover from climate-related shocks. The discussions also focused on the growing impact of climate change on MSMEs, including rising operating costs, supply-chain disruptions, lower productivity and changes in consumer demand. Kola Masha, Managing Director of Babban Gona, provided insights into the challenges confronting smallholder farmers and how financial institutions can transform climate risks into viable and bankable opportunities. The conference emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between financial institutions, governments, development partners, technology companies and businesses to close the financing gap facing climate-vulnerable communities. A high-level session, “When Capital Meets Climate: Rethinking What Impact Really Means,” also challenged stakeholders to measure climate finance by its impact on livelihoods and economic resilience rather than merely the amount of capital deployed. As climate pressures intensify across Africa, stakeholders said greater attention must be given to helping women, farmers and MSMEs move from vulnerability to resilience and ultimately achieve sustainable economic growth.