₦7.5 Billion Series 2, 5-Year Fixed Rate Bond to Finance Women-Owned and Women-Led SMEs
LAGOS, NIGERIA, 11 NOVEMBER 2026 – Chapel Hill Advisory Partners Limited (“Chapel Hill”) today announced the launch of Nigeria’s first Gender Bond: a ₦7.5 Billion Series 2 five-year fixed rate bond issued by Chapel Hill Financing SPV PLC under its ₦250 Billion Debt Issuance Programme. The bond is a milestone for the Nigerian capital market. It is the first gender bond whose proceeds will provide financing to women-owned and women-led businesses, and it opens a new channel of long-term capital to a historically underserved segment.
The net proceeds will be used to finance women-owned and women-led SMEs and MSMEs through Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria SME Limited (“SME.NG”), Chapel Hill’s gender lens SME impact investment platform. Every borrower must meet SME.NG’s eligibility requirements, the 2X Criteria set by 2X Global, and a framework aligned with the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Social Bond Principles.
Bolaji Balogun, Chief Executive Officer of Chapel Hill, said: “Women-owned businesses create jobs, opportunities and drive growth across Nigeria, yet they find access to longer duration capital hard to find. This bond puts long term capital directly behind them. We are grateful to FSD Africa for its partnership in this landmark transaction.”
FSD Africa (Financial Sector Deepening Africa), funded by the UK’s FCDO, played an important role as Sustainable Finance Adviser in supporting the successful issuance of Nigeria’s first Gender Bond. Chapel Hill acknowledges FSD Africa’s partnership and commitment to advancing sustainable finance and deepening Nigeria’s capital markets. Agusto & Co. provided an independent Second Party Opinion, verifying and certifying that both the Gender Bond issuance and the underlying portfolio of eligible women-owned and women-led businesses to be financed by SME.NG are aligned with the ICMA Social Bond Principles and consistent with Chapel Hill’s broader sustainability strategy. This independent assessment provides investors with assurance regarding the transparency, integrity and impact credentials of the issuance.
Dr Evans Osano, Chief Financial Markets Officer at FSD Africa said: “Nigeria’s first gender bond is a milestone for the capital market, showing that investor capital can be directed deliberately to women. Through our technical assistance toolkit, FSD Africa has worked with Chapel Hill to build a credible, independently reviewed structure that links every Naira raised to women-led and women-owned businesses. We hope this offer becomes the template for many more issuers.”
About Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill is one of Nigeria’s leading financial services firms, with regulated operating subsidiaries across capital markets in investment banking, investment management, sales and trading, retirement services in pension fund management, protection in non-life insurance, life insurance, takaful, fintech and investments. The Firm serves a diversified client base that includes sovereigns, sub-national governments, corporates, SMEs, development finance institutions, family offices, financial sponsors and individuals. Chapel Hill’s investment business maintains a focus on sectors accretive to Nigeria and Africa’s development, including strategies in infrastructure, renewable energy, real estate, private credit and equity, energy, education, healthcare, gender finance, food systems and forestry, venture investments and the creative economy.
Chapel Hill is rated A+ by Agusto & Co. and A by GCR Ratings, reflecting its strong capitalisation, scale of operations, consistent profitability, brand franchise, liquidity profile and experienced management. The Firm is also a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the United Nations Global Compact, and a member of 2X Global.
