The Bank has an exceptional group of very strong international shareholders committed to the task of improving access to financial services in the country.

Our shareholders are Access Microfinance Holding AG of Germany, International Finance Corporation (member of the World Bank Group) in the USA, KfW – the German Development Bank and African Development Bank Group in Ivory Coast

AccessHolding is a strategic investor in the microfinance industry. It was established in 2006 by LFS Financial Systems (16.12%) and is owned by an international group of private and public investors including (16.12% each): CDC Group plc (a UK govern­ment-owned fund investing in deve­loping and emerging economies); EIB – European Investment Bank (the European Union’s financing institution); IFC; KfW Development Bank; Omidyar Tufts Microfinance Fund (created by the founder of EBay); and MicroAssets (3.26%), a staff investment programme of LFS. AccessHolding invests in micro­finance institutions and develops these investments through a c­ombination of equity finance, holding services and management assistance, building a global network of A­c­cessBanks with a common brand identity.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. IFC fosters sustainable economic growth in de­veloping countries by sup­porting private sector development, mobilizing private capital and providing advisory and risk mitigation servi­ces to businesses and governments. The corporation’s new investments totalled USD 14.5 billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial crisis.

KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW Development Bank): On behalf of the German Federal Government, KfW Entwicklungsbank finances investments and accompanying advisory services in developing and transition countries. Its aim is to build up and expand the social and economic infrastructure of the respective countries, and to advance sound financial systems while protecting resources and ensuring a healthy environment. KfW Entwicklungsbank is a leader in supporting responsible and sustainable microfinance and is involved in target group-oriented financial institutions around the world. It is part of KfW, which has a balance sheet total of EUR 442 billion (as of 31 December 2010). KfW is one of the five biggest banks in Germany and is AAA-rated by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

As of 31 December 2011, the African Development Bank’s authorized capital is subscribed to by 78 member countries made up of 53 independent African countries (regional members) and 25 non-African countries (non-regional members). The institution’s resources come from ordinary and special resources. Ordinary resources comprise: the subscribed shares of the authorized capital, a portion of which is subject to call in order to guarantee AfDB borrowing obligations;

• funds received in repayment of AfDB loans;
• funds raised through AfDB borrowings on international capital markets;
• income derived from AfDB loans; and
• other income received by the Bank, e.g. income from other investments.