L’Agence de Credit pour l’Entreprise Privee (ACEP) Burkina is a rather young microfinance institution (its foundation dates back to 2013). It belongs to the ACEP group, which is in addition to Burkina Faso also active in its neighbouring countries.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world and doesn’t offer the easiest conditions for successful entrepreneurship. Political instability reigns there and access to finance is lacking for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In line with the eighth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (“Decent work and economic growth”), ACEP’s financial services specifically target those who have difficult access to these services: microenterprises and SMEs.
Client of ACEP who is processing “attiéké” (a cassava-based dish).
Despite challenging circumstances, ACEP has grown to become the country’s second-largest microfinance institution, with over 28,000 clients. And despite the Covid-19, the financial institution has managed to keep its branches open.
The CEO of ACEP Burkina, Ousseni Kirakoya, underlines that the loan of Incofin Microfinance Fund comes at a crucial moment: “The initiative of Incofin Microfinance Fund gives us great pleasure because this loan allows us to support the economic recovery of Burkina Faso in the context of the Covid crisis. We are very grateful to the entire Incofin team for the renewed trust and support they give us.”