Equity Group, AMREF University partner to train Africa’s healthcare entrepreneurs

Equity Group Holdings, East  Africa’s largest financial services group led by Kenyan banker James Mwangi, has signed a five-year partnership with AMREF International University (AMIU) to strengthen healthcare education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship across Africa.

The collaboration combines the strengths of Equity Bank Kenya, Equity Group Foundation (EGF), Equity Afya, Equity Life Assurance Kenya, and AMREF International University to help develop healthcare professionals capable of building sustainable businesses while improving access to quality medical services across the continent.

Expanding healthcare innovation across Africa

Under the agreement, AMIU will lead health education, curriculum development, research, healthcare innovation and professional capacity building. The university will also provide internships, mentorship programs, scientific collaboration and specialized training to prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Equity Bank Kenya will support healthcare infrastructure financing while creating experiential learning opportunities for students and young professionals. 

Equity Group Foundation will focus on health entrepreneurship, community healthcare, climate and health initiatives, environmental conservation and humanitarian research. Equity Life Assurance Kenya and Equity Afya will contribute insurance and healthcare delivery expertise to expand access to affordable care.

“Health cuts across every sector because good health drives productivity, and productivity creates prosperity,” Equity Group Managing Director and CEO and Equity Group Foundation Executive Director James Mwangi said during the signing ceremony. “We have invested significantly in expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare, but achieving meaningful impact requires collaboration with specialized institutions.”

Bridging medicine and entrepreneurship

AMIU Vice Chancellor Prof. Joachim Osur said the partnership addresses one of Africa’s biggest healthcare challenges: helping medical professionals transform their expertise into successful enterprises.

“The missing link has been transforming knowledge into monetized products through entrepreneurship,” Osur said. “Many qualified healthcare professionals struggle to fully utilize their expertise because they rely solely on formal employment.”

Strong institutions driving regional growth

Equity Group Holdings Plc has continued its expansion across East and Central Africa, with operations spanning Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Under James Mwangi, the bank’s largest shareholder and CEO, the lender’s balance sheet strengthened, with total assets increasing 9.22% to Ksh1.97 trillion ($15.21 billion), driven by higher investment securities and net loans to customers.

AMREF International University, established in 2017 and wholly owned by Amref Health Africa, builds on more than six decades of healthcare training through the former Amref International Training Centre. 

Based in Nairobi, the university enrolls approximately 3,000 students from 26 countries, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma programs in nursing, community health and health systems management.

The partnership underscores growing investment in Africa’s healthcare sector as financial institutions and academic organizations work together to develop skilled professionals, expand healthcare innovation and strengthen the continent’s long-term health systems.