NIB International Bank review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

NIB International Bank suits a viable business in ET that can offer collateral, hold a valid export trade licence and draw against a signed sales contract. Lending comes straight from the bank, and free early repayment plus a 6 term fits exporters who clear a facility as soon as a contract pays out.

Key facts

Best for
A viable business with collateral, an export licence and a signed sales contract to borrow against.
Term
6 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
ETB 3,000 for fresh requests before processing plus 0.25% of approved amount after approval (incl. 15% VAT) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Hard (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free early repayment
Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
Applicant engaged in a viable business, collateral offered for the facility, valid export trade licence, facility availed against a sales contract (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Origination fee (%)
0.25% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Business, Secured, Credit-line (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Nib International Bank (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Ethiopia (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1999 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Credit line
Official website
nibbanksc.com

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
LinkedInt.me

Pros and cons

Pros

  • A banking licence from the National Bank of Ethiopia, LBB/007/99, on a direct lending relationship rather than a broker's introduction.
  • Free early repayment, so clearing a facility ahead of schedule costs nothing extra.
  • Support runs on email, phone and chat.
  • A 6 term fits exporters who repay as soon as a sales contract pays out.

Cons

  • The credit check is hard, and eligibility asks for collateral and a valid export trade licence, so unencumbered assets rule it out.
  • An origination charge of 0.25% of the approved amount sits on top of a fixed fee taken before processing, which bites hardest on small facilities.
  • The 6 term suits quick turnover only, so a facility tied up longer needs a different lender.
NIB International Bank

Ready to try NIB International Bank?

Scored 9.2 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Exporters holding a valid export trade licence who can offer collateral and a signed sales contract.
  • Businesses that can clear a facility inside a 6 term and pay nothing extra for repaying early.
  • Anyone who prefers to deal with a bank that lends directly rather than through a broker.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Cashspace, with 2 to 4 month terms, is built for a small short draw rather than a facility against a sales contract.
  • Vivus ES, with 7 to 30 month terms, gives a far longer schedule than the 6 term here.
  • Plazo ES, at 48 months, suits a longer repayment and a different market from a ET bank.

How your money is protected

NIB International Bank is a direct lender, direct lender, so a facility is arranged with the bank itself rather than with a broker or an intermediary. It holds a banking licence from the National Bank of Ethiopia, LBB/007/99, which makes it a licensed bank in its own right and puts your facility in the hands of the institution that issued it.

How NIB International Bank compares

Where NIB International Bank is available

Available
Ethiopia
Licence in Ethiopia
National Bank of Ethiopia (LBB/007/99), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What fees does NIB International Bank charge?+

Arrangement fees run as a fixed sum on fresh requests before processing, then a percentage of the approved amount once the facility is approved, 0.25%. The published terms include VAT in that charge, so the percentage is the whole fee rather than a starting figure you add tax to.

How long is the term?+

The stated term is 6. That suits a business that clears a facility as soon as a sales contract pays out. Where the money is tied up longer, Plazo ES runs 48 months and Vivus ES offers 7 to 30 months, so a longer schedule sits elsewhere.

Is early repayment free?+

Early repayment is free, so clearing a facility ahead of schedule carries no extra charge. That suits an exporter drawing on a sales contract, since the money often arrives sooner than the schedule expects, and it also suits anyone repaying from a single transaction.

Is the bank regulated?+

Yes. The bank is licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia, LBB/007/99, and is based in Ethiopia. It lends in its own name as a bank rather than placing you with a broker, so the contract, the fee schedule and the account all sit with the licensed bank.

What do I need to qualify?+

The credit check is hard. Eligibility asks for a business in a viable operation, collateral offered for the facility, a valid export trade licence and a sales contract to draw against. An applicant without collateral or a signed contract is asking the bank to lend against nothing.

How can I reach the bank?+

Support runs on email, phone and chat, so help is available by phone, email, chat and the help centre. The bank has been working since 1999, which matters if you would rather deal with an established lender in ET than a new name on the market.

Which type of lending should I pick?+

The bank offers business, secured and credit lines, business, secured and credit line, with a credit line as the listed feature, credit line. A credit line suits a firm drawing as orders arrive. Secured lending suits a business willing to offer collateral, and home improvement is the stated use case, home improvement.

Sources

  • nibbanksc.com checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Support channels

    “Ras Abebe Aragay St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”

  • nibbanksc.com/about-nib-bank checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded, Legal entity, Licences

    “Nib International Bank (NIB) was established on 26 May 1999 ... The Bank commenced its operations in 28 October 1999”

  • nibbanksc.com/financing-products checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Eligibility

    “Applicant should be engaged in a viable business; Collateral offered for the requested facility; Valid Export Trade License; Facility availed against a sales contract”

  • nibbanksc.com/terms-tariffs checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Credit check, Free early repayment, Arrangement fee, Origination fee (%)

    “Credit information fee (should be collected immediately when a customer applies for loans and guarantees) - As per NBE directive”

  • nibbanksc.com/types-of-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Features, Lender type, Loan types, Term, Use cases

    “An overdraft is a form of short term credit facility by which a customer may be allowed to draw beyond his/her/its current account up to a prescribed limit”

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: APR, Loan amount, Funding time, Representative example.

NIB International Bank

NIB International Bank

A viable business with collateral, an export licence and a signed sales contract to borrow against.

9.2/10See alternatives

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