NACCIMA opens portal for $150m ODDO BHF facility, loans start at $10m

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has opened its online application portal for the $150 million offshore financing facility backed by German banking group ODDO BHF SE. Loans under the programme start at $10 million, carry single-digit interest rates, and come with repayment periods of at least 7.5 years.

The portal went live ahead of Tuesday's widely circulated announcement, giving Nigerian businesses a dedicated channel to access long-term expansion capital. NACCIMA said the initiative is designed to improve access to international capital, strengthen industrial capacity, and boost the competitiveness of local companies in regional and global markets.

Who can apply

Applicants must be legally registered in Nigeria, hold at least three years of audited financial statements, comply with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, and maintain verified membership of a recognised organised private sector association. Accepted bodies include NACCIMA, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), or any chamber of commerce affiliated with NACCIMA.

The facility covers 17 sectors: manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, energy and power, oil and gas, ICT and technology, logistics and transportation, infrastructure, mining and quarrying, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, real estate, telecommunications, tourism, consumer products, financial services, entertainment, and retail and trade. NACCIMA has set aside 20 per cent of the total facility for digital economy projects.

How to apply

Applicants must create an account on NACCIMA's financing portal and complete a multi-stage registration process. This includes submitting company details such as the CAC registration number, Tax Identification Number, date of incorporation, registered addresses, contact information, and chamber membership credentials. Businesses must also disclose workforce size, gender composition, annual turnover, and staff age distribution.

For the financing request itself, applicants must name the project, state its purpose, and specify the total amount sought, which cannot fall below $10 million. A key condition is that between 35 per cent and 50 per cent of the loan must be used to purchase approved machinery, equipment, technology, or services sourced from Europe. Applicants must identify the specific European goods or services they intend to procure and the country of origin.

Required documents

Submission documents include a signed letter of intent, a project summary, a CAC certificate of incorporation, three years of audited financial statements, proof of chamber membership, tax clearance certificates covering three years, an ownership and management profile, and identification documents for directors and shareholders.

Before submitting, applicants must declare that the funds will not be directed towards defence, military purposes, or speculative trading, and that all information provided is accurate. Reports from the Punch and TheCable confirm the application details.

What it means for Nigerian businesses

The facility gives large and mid-sized Nigerian firms rare access to patient, single-digit offshore capital at a time when local borrowing costs remain high. The European procurement condition pushes companies toward imported machinery and technology, which could support industrial upgrades but also means the naira will face added demand pressure if drawdowns are concentrated.