The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) has appointed Constant Nzi as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective June 23, 2026, marking the culmination of more than nine years of leadership within the pan-African financial institution.
Nzi succeeds to the top role after serving as Interim Group Chief Executive Officer since February 2026. Over the course of his tenure at AGF, he has also held the positions of Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer and Group Chief Risk Officer, playing a central role in strengthening the institution’s risk management framework and supporting its mission to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa.
Announcing the appointment, AGF described Nzi as a leader with deep institutional knowledge, extensive executive experience and a strong commitment to the organization’s mandate of improving access to finance for African businesses. The fund said it is confident that his leadership will reinforce AGF’s position as Africa’s leading guarantee institution.
Professional Background
Nzi joined AGF in 2017 as Chief Risk Officer before being elevated to Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Following his appointment as Interim Group Chief Executive Officer earlier this year, he oversaw the organization’s strategic operations while supporting its efforts to mobilize financing for SMEs through innovative guarantee solutions.
Before joining AGF, Nzi co-founded Sunze Technologie SARL in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where he served as President and focused on renewable energy solutions for commercial and residential customers. Earlier in his career, he held senior risk management roles at Lyxor Asset Management and Société Générale in Paris, specializing in market risk management for fund derivatives.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Finance, Marketing and Strategy from ESSEC Business School in France.
The appointment comes as AGF continues to expand its role in narrowing Africa’s SME financing gap by providing credit guarantees and risk-sharing solutions that encourage financial institutions to lend to underserved businesses.
