UNDP Partners CBN on Training Micro-Finance Industry

To make small loans available and accessible to the poor, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to organise a two-week training for managers and stakeholders in the micro-finance industry.
The programme which is aimed at making small loans work to uplift the greater number of the poor in the society and better support the informal sector to boost the productivity of the country, is scheduled to kick off in two batches, commencing from August 2, to 13, and 16th to 27 August for the first and second batches, respectively.
The opening ceremony took place in Abuja at the UNDP House and is targeted at top managers of state-supported micro-finance institutions, micro finance banks, government officials and other stakeholders in the finance sector.
It is expected that about 115 participants will be trained including nominees from 10 states as well as financial service providers to two UNDP millennium village projects.
Among the states that will benefit from the training are, Ondo, Kaduna, Akwa- Ibom, Sokoto, Delta, Rivers, Adamawa, Niger, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory.
In his opening remark, the UNDP representative, Mr. Kabiru Nasidi, urged the participants to avail themselves the opportunity presented by the programme to enrich their knowledge how to provide small loans to the poor so as to be able to grow their businesses.
He said the training will help the participants to develop practical skills to manage, improve and expand micro finance services to the poor.
The development associate of the programme, Mr. Olubunmi Adetunbi, said that the training will broaden the participants understanding how to deliver inclusive operations and provide them with tools for improving performance.
He also said that the training will provide the opportunity for knowledge sharing and dissemination of global best practices in the field.