United Kingdom, London, 9 July 2026 – Ecobank Transnational Incorporated marked the listing of its US$450 million Sustainable Agriculture & Natural Capital Bond with a Market Open Ceremony at the London Stock Exchange.
The transaction is the world’s first ICMA-designated Nature Bond from a commercial bank – and globally the first use-of-proceeds green bond to carry ICMA’s Nature Bond secondary designation.
The bond is designed to support eligible lending across three categories – Sustainable Primary Production, Sustainable Agri-Processing, and Water Supply and Sanitation – in 24 markets within Ecobank’s operating footprint, with lending concentrated in nature- and biodiversity-priority markets. It also reflects Ecobank’s wider role in mobilising African and international capital for sectors central to Africa’s long-term resilience, including food systems, natural capital, supply chains and water systems.
The transaction attracted strong investor demand, with a final orderbook exceeding US$1.36 billion, representing 3.9 times oversubscription on the original target size of US$350 million. The strength of demand allowed Ecobank to increase the transaction size by US$100 million to US$450 million and tighten pricing by 50 basis points from initial guidance, representing a greenium of 50 basis points. Moody’s assigned the transaction its highest Sustainability Quality Score, SQS1 (Excellent).
The bond drew a diversified international orderbook. Final allocations were distributed approximately 55% to the UK and Europe, 38% to Africa, 3% to the Middle East, 2% to the US and 2% to Asia, with participation from development finance institutions and dedicated sustainability-focused funds. FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, participated as the anchor investor.
The bond is structured as a Tier 2 capital instrument with a 10.25-year tenor, callable in 5.25 years.
Senior Ecobank representatives attended the Market Open Ceremony, including:
- • Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, Chairman, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
- • Jeremy Awori, Group Chief Executive Officer
- • Ayo Adepoju, Group Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer
- • Rachael A.O. Antwi, Group Head, Sustainability
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated acted as Issuer, Originator and Sole Sustainability Structuring Adviser. Standard Chartered Bank and Renaissance Capital Africa acted as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners.
The London Stock Exchange ceremony marked the transaction as a milestone for African sustainable finance and highlighted the growing role of African financial institutions in developing credible, market-based solutions for climate and nature-related investment.
Open Market Ceremony: Ecobank Transnational Incorporated marks the listing of its US$450 million Sustainable Agriculture & Natural Capital Bond at the London Stock Exchange Market Open Ceremony on 9 July 2026.
GCEO, Croup Chairman & LSE: From left to right: Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group; Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, Chairman of Ecobank Group; and Charlie Walker, Deputy CEO, London Stock Exchange.
Open Market Ceremony: Ceremony marking the presentation of the commemorative glass plaque by the London Stock Exchange to Ecobank leadership, in the presence of Ruth Davis, the UK Government’s Special Representative for Nature.
-ENDS-
Media Contact:
Christiane Mbimbe Bossom
Group Communications
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
Email: groupcorporatecomms@ecobank.com
Hudson Sandler
Email: ecobank@hudsonsandler.com
About Ecobank Group (or ‘Ecobank Transnational Incorporated’ or ‘ETI’)
Ecobank Group is the leading private pan-African banking group with unrivalled African expertise. Present in 34 sub-Saharan African countries, as well as France, the UK, UAE and China, its unique pan-African platform provides a single gateway for payments, cash management, trade and investment. The Group employs over 14,000 people and offers Consumer, Commercial, Corporate and Investment Banking products, services and solutions across multiple channels, including digital, to over 30 million customers. For further information, please visit www.ecobank.com