Zedvance to Triple Lending after Disbursing N120bn to SMEs

Kayode Tokede

The Group Managing Director of Zedcrest, the parent company of Zedvance, Adedayo Amzat, announced a strategic shift in the firm’s asset deployment. He said the company will dedicate 100 % of its active loan portfolio to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and critical ecosystem enablers.

Amzat made the disclosure at the Zedvance Business Roundtable, themed “Unlocking Growth: The Role of Smart Financing in Building Resilient Businesses.” The event gathered business leaders, industry professionals, and key economic stakeholders to discuss how sector‑specific financing and innovative lending can drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s changing macroeconomic environment.

During his keynote, Amzat highlighted that while public attention often focuses on large corporate initial public offerings (IPOs), the true engine of the nation’s economic survival lies with mid‑size operators. “The people gathered in this room, and the ecosystems that you all represent in one shape or form, are the true drivers of the Nigerian economy,” he said, emphasizing the resilience of entrepreneurs navigating a challenging operational terrain.

He added, “I am deeply honored to be standing in front of people who are fighting day and night, tooth and nail; people who often cannot get the right sort of financing, who cannot access the adequate land capital required to execute projects, or who cannot secure enough corner shops to set up petrol stations.”

Addressing the historical challenges of managing credit risk in a volatile environment, Amzat explained that Zedvance is pioneering “ecosystem‑linked solutions.” This model leverages structured partnerships with corporate aggregators to safely funnel liquidity to clustered smallholders in sectors such as agriculture, automotive distribution, and energy.

Executive Director of Commercial Solutions at Zedvance Finance, Ayooluwa Oladimeji, also spoke. He said, “Over the next 18 months, his firm will be deploying ₦500 billion to deepen their support for growth‑ready enterprises. A business loan enables an enterprise to scale production, hire 100 more individuals, and distribute more goods, multiplying the macroeconomic impact a hundredfold compared to a single consumer loan.”