Ifunanya Nnanta

Growing Businesses Foundation

Growing Businesses Foundation was established in 1999 and has positioned itself as Nigeria's leading platform providing capacity building, access to markets and access to finance to people at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP) as a means to work their way out of poverty. We provide professionally managed innovative approaches to community development and value-chain expansion services to corporate entities looking to increase the effectiveness of their engagement with stakeholders at the BOP. GBF has operations in more than 2300 communities across 36 states of Nigeria made possible through our head office in Lagos and 7 field offices across Nigeria. GBF has positively impacted the lives of well over 2 million Nigerians since its establishment. We have strategic linkages with over 6,000 local institutions including cooperatives, microfinance institutions/banks (MFIs/MFBs), and other rural financial intermediaries (RFIs), which enable our work in these communities. GBF has managed microfinance investment portfolios exceeding N1.4 Billion on behalf of private sector clients to start and grow micro-enterprises across Nigeria, and has provided capacity building and technical assistance services to more than 200,000 micro-entrepreneurs since establishment. PARTNERS GBF is a firm believer in partnerships and since establishment, we have partnered on projects with several public and private sector institutions and international development agencies including: Chevron, ExxonMobil, MTN Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Visafone, Nigeria LNG Limited, Coca Cola Nigeria Limited, Union Bank Plc, Express Discount Ltd, Udo Udoma & Bello Osagie, C & J Porter Novelli, Citibank, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Cherish Support Foundation (CSF), Department for International Development (DFID), Aiico Insurance, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ecobank Plc, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).