Robust International Pte Ltd (EBRD-56703)

Countries
  • Ivory Coast
  • Nigeria
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Financial Institutions
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Dec 3, 2025
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
Robust International Pte Ltd.
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Agriculture and Forestry
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 70.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 70.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ EBRD website

Updated in EWS Nov 12, 2025

Disclosed by Bank Oct 16, 2025

Contribute Information
Can you contribute information about this project?
Contact the EWS Team

Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to the Bank’s website, the project consists of the provision of USD 70 million working capital facility to be used for sourcing of raw cashew nuts and other agriculture commodities in Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

The proposed financing will enable the sponsor's subsidiaries in Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria to increase sourcing of cashew nuts and other agricultural commodities, for further processing and export to global markets.

The transition impact of the project stems from (i) Competitive, as the operation will improve the operational efficiency of the sponsor's subsidiary in Cote d'Ivoire beyond prevailing standards in the country; and (ii) Inclusive, as the operation will entail tailored training modules for Robust own local workforce. Furthermore, the operating shall enable the sponsor to increase its engagement within its sesame and cashew nuts supply chain, by delivering tailored training on best farming practices, thereby promote the sustainability of farmer's agricultural activities.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

Categorised B (2024 ESP).

The project includes exposure to the company's existing assets, including across four countries in Africa and a recently commissioned large cashew processing facility and warehouses in Côte d'Ivoire, and E&S risk issues inherent within the agricultural sourcing and processing sectors, which are particularly accentuated in relation to the local cashew farming and production activities taking place in a heightened context of environmental, social and economic vulnerability.

Key E&S risks currently being considered include: direct and sub-contracted workers' employment terms and working conditions, worker safety, child labour, working conditions and land use conversion in local cashew smallholder farms which make up core supply chains for the project, limited supply chain traceability, limited monitoring of farmers' working conditions and OSH, as well as resource use, solid waste and wastewater management, pesticide use, and community health & safety.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Provision of USD 70 million working capital facility.

Private Actors Description
A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

Robust International Pte Ltd. is a mid-size agri-commodities trading company established in 2006 and headquartered in Singapore, with presence in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mozambique. The Group is majority owned by Naarayan Raaghavan, Singaporean citizen. 

Private Actor 1 Private Actor 1 Role Private Actor 1 Sector Relation Private Actor 2 Private Actor 2 Role Private Actor 2 Sector
- - - - Robust International Pte Ltd Client -

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

Vishanth Narayan
ed@robust-international.com

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can request information by emailing: accessinfo@ebrd.com or by using this electronic form: https://www.ebrd.com/eform/information-request

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF EBRD

The Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the PCM, it may assess compliance with EBRD's own policies and procedures to prevent harm to the environment or communities or it may assist you in resolving the problem that led to the complaint through a dialogue with those implementing the project. Additionally, the PCM has the authority to recommend a project be suspended in the event that harm is imminent.

You can contact the PCM at: pcm@ebrd.com or you can submit a complaint online using an online form at: http://www.ebrd.com/eform/pcm/complaint_form?language=en

You can learn more about the PCM and how to file a complaint at: http://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/project-finance/project-complaint-mechanism.html

How it works

How it works