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Ecobank Group has issued the world’s first commercial bank‑backed Nature Bond on the London Stock Exchange, raising $450 million to finance biodiversity protection and sustainable agriculture across Africa. The transaction, awarded Moody’s highest sustainability quality score (SQS1 Excellent), marks a milestone in mobilising private capital for environmental resilience.

The bond will channel funds directly into Africa’s real economy, supporting smallholder farmers, agri‑processors with deforestation‑free supply chains, and water infrastructure projects. Investments will be deployed across 24 markets, with priority in biodiversity‑rich countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. Ecobank said 81 per cent of the eligible lending pool is allocated to countries where agricultural land‑use change is the primary driver of biodiversity loss.

Investor demand was strong, with the final orderbook reaching $1.36 billion, nearly four times oversubscribed. Ecobank increased the issue size by $100 million and tightened pricing by 50 basis points.

Ecobank Group CEO Jeremy Awori described the transaction as “a defining moment for African sustainable finance,” while Group Head of Sustainability Rachael Antwi said the bond links international capital to measurable outcomes in agriculture and water systems.

The launch comes amid growing global pressure to mobilise private capital for biodiversity protection and sustainable land use.