Investors in WASH businesses and service providers can now access safe water and sanitation throughout Nigeria through the Sterling Wash Business Loan, a financing option by Sterling Bank, in partnership with the nonprofit Water.org and the Sterling One Foundation, to scale their businesses.
For millions of Nigerians, accessing clean water and safe sanitation is a daily struggle that deeply impacts health, livelihoods, and overall well-being. Partners have stepped up to tackle this urgent challenge and work towards strengthening the solution.
Related Posts
The launch marks a united effort to tackle one of Nigeria’s biggest development challenges—ensuring access to clean water and proper sanitation.
Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director of Sterling Bank, emphasized the initiative’s importance in promoting inclusive growth, noting that sustainable progress relies on teamwork and focused investment in the people and businesses providing solutions at the grassroots.
By offering accessible financing to entrepreneurs in this vital social sector, Suleiman said we can make sure progress reaches the communities that need it most. This is especially true as the product aligns with our HEART strategy and reflects our commitment to improving quality of life through impact-driven initiatives.”
Gilbert Okpono, Senior Partnership Account Manager for Nigeria at Water.org, highlighted the transformative impact of financing WASH businesses, noting that financial inclusion is key to addressing the global water and sanitation crisis.
By making affordable financing more accessible, we help households and WASH entrepreneurs enhance services, reach more people, and change lives. Partnering with Sterling Bank and Sterling One Foundation shows our shared belief that when communities can secure safe water and sanitation, the positive effects spread to health, education, and economic growth. This launch marks a big step toward scaling that impact in a sustainable way.
The Sterling WASH Business Loan helps WASH entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community service providers with flexible financing to grow and maintain their work, boosting health, livelihoods, and education in communities.
The initiative fits perfectly with the Sterling One Foundation’s mission to promote social impact and sustainable development across Africa. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of the Foundation, emphasized, “Our mission is to spark initiatives that create real, lasting change. Providing access to safe water and sanitation is one of the most impactful investments in a community’s well-being.”
“With this launch, we’re creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, families, and communities to build healthier futures. We’re excited to team up with Water.org and Sterling Bank to provide solutions that are inclusive, scalable, and sustainable.”
The launch event brought together development partners, WASH entrepreneurs, media, policymakers, and community organizations to discuss how coordinated financing, supportive policies, and market-driven solutions can help close Nigeria’s WASH access gap. Interested beneficiaries are encouraged to visit www… for more information about the initiative.
Water.org is a global nonprofit committed to providing safe water and sanitation to communities in need. Through creative financing solutions and partnerships, it helps households and entrepreneurs gain access to sustainable WASH services, enhancing health, education, and economic opportunities around the world. For more information, visit water.org.
Sterling Bank is a nationwide commercial bank in Nigeria and part of the Sterling Financial Holdings Group. With over 60 years of history, it has grown from being the country’s leading investment bank to a trusted name in retail, commercial, and corporate banking.Sterling is a modern financial institution dedicated to making a difference through innovative solutions, great service, strong integrity, and its HEART strategy, focusing on Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Transportation. As a leader in digital banking and financial inclusion, Sterling sets the pace by showing how purpose-driven leadership can create real, positive change for people, businesses, and communities.
Sterling One Foundation is a registered non-profit dedicated to addressing the root causes of poverty in Nigeria and across Africa through impactful initiatives in health, education, and climate action with food security. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are woven into all its programmes as a key priority. The Foundation’s work centers on building strong partnerships to drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
.
