The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has commenced applications for its $150 million Offshore Expansion Facility, a financing initiative developed in partnership with Germany’s ODDO BHF SE to provide long-term capital for the expansion and modernisation of Nigerian businesses.

The association said eligible companies can now apply through a dedicated digital portal unveiled during the Infrastructure Conference (INFRACON) 2026, recently held at the AFREXIM Tower in Abuja.

According to NACCIMA, the platform represents a significant step towards digitising the origination of foreign direct investment for Nigeria’s organised private sector.

The operational framework and application portal were jointly presented by the Chairman of the Joint NACCIMA–ODDO BHF Working Group Committee and former Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Dr Waheed Olagunju, alongside NACCIMA’s Digital Economy Coordinator and Chairman of the Digital Economy Trade Group, Dr Segun Olugbile.

Established through a strategic partnership with Frankfurt-based commercial banking group ODDO BHF SE, the facility is designed to provide qualified Nigerian enterprises with patient, long-term expansion financing at single-digit interest rates.

The funding targets businesses operating in manufacturing (excluding defence-related industries), agro-allied processing, energy, logistics, mineral beneficiation, transportation, and information and communication technology (ICT). NACCIMA said 20 per cent of the overall facility has been reserved for the digital economy and ICT sector.

Speaking at the unveiling, Olagunju described the initiative as a transparent investment platform aimed at strengthening investor confidence in Nigeria.

“What we are launching today is a transparent, globally aligned investment origination pipeline as a demonstration of investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s economy,” he said.

He explained that the Joint NACCIMA–ODDO Committee had developed a framework to enable viable, environmentally, socially and governance (ESG)-compliant Nigerian enterprises to access funding starting from a minimum of $10 million to acquire European machinery, equipment and technology needed to expand their operations.

Olagunju also highlighted the security features of the digital portal, saying it was designed to meet international banking standards.

“To attract world-class European investment, our digital infrastructure must inspire absolute confidence and trust. This secure e-portal has been developed with bank-grade encryption and complies with existing regulations.

“It automates Know Your Customer (KYC) verification and integrates a secure framework to ensure that the proprietary financial information of applicants remains fully protected throughout the transaction process,” he said.

Under the financing arrangement, successful applicants can access a minimum facility of $10 million with a repayment tenure of at least seven and a half years.

NACCIMA said beneficiaries would be required to commit between 35 and 50 per cent of the financing to the procurement of eligible goods, equipment, machinery and services from Europe, while the remaining funds could be deployed within Nigeria or other approved markets.

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate financial viability and repayment capacity by submitting at least three years of audited financial statements. They are also expected to provide evidence of compliance with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

In addition, only verified financial members of recognised organised private sector associations, including NACCIMA, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), will be eligible to apply.

NACCIMA said the initiative reflects its commitment to creating credible international financing channels for Nigerian industries through strategic global partnerships.

The association noted that the programme is expected to strengthen private sector competitiveness, support industrial expansion, and contribute to sustainable economic transformation in the country.

NACCIMA is the umbrella body for chambers of commerce and business membership organisations in Nigeria, promoting private sector development, industrialisation, trade facilitation, investment, and public-private dialogue.