Improving Access to Financial Services

The Access to Finance Unit of the programme focuses on enhancing the supply of financial products and services and building the financial competences of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the poor economically active population in Nigeria. The Unit provides sectoral, systemic and institutional interventions to drive significant outcomes and scale while ensuring resilience and sustainability of the financial system.

The Unit contributes to improving access to sustainable, client-oriented and affordable financial services for MSMEs and poor economically active population in Nigeria with regional focus on Ogun, Plateau and Niger States and particular consideration to gender.

Objective

To provide trainings and capacity building measures to MFBs in order for them to increase their loan portfolio, performance, efficiency and risk management.

Partners

Microfinance banks
Ogun State: Sagamu, Solid Rock, Eso-e, Trust, Astra-Polaris, Catland, Imowo, Imodi-Imosan, Molusi, Landgold, Foresight, Lavender
Plateau State: First Lowland, Mwaghavul, Gowans, Highland
Niger State: Pana, Bejin-Doko, Bawyi, Bmazazhin
Federal Partners: Government – CBN- OFISD

Initiatives

  • Strengthening internal processes.
  • Portfolio management and Management of Information System (MIS).
  • Implementation of new client-oriented products.
  • Digitalisation of selected processes.
  • Development of four (4) Microfinance Certificate Programme Modules with the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Nigeria.

Objective

To improve supply of client-oriented, affordable and sustainable financial products and services for agricultural value chain actors and organized cooperatives.

Partners

CBN (DFD)
Partner-MFBs
NIRSAL
AgFin Project

Initiatives

  • Profile of loan products from selected MFBs, DMBs, BoA and BoI.
  • Stock-taking and Profiling of Public Agricultural Finance and Insurance Schemes and Alternative Finance Providers.
  • Assessment of the Anchors Borrowers’ Programme among the Cassava and Potatoes value chains.
  • Coordination of Access to Finance interventions for Agricultural value chains

Objective

To provide systemic and sectoral interventions for microinsurance development in Nigeria with particular focus on policy and consumer education.

Partners

ILO
ILO-Impact Insurance Facility
NAICOM
EFInA
NIA
CIFMS
NIRSAL

Initiatives

  • Supported NAICOM to review and update the Microinsurance Guideline.
  • Developed an Edutainment movie “E go better” – A Microinsurance story to promote consumer education and protection.
  • Supported Sector Project of GIZ-HQ to set-up an Inclusive Insurance Certificate Training with ILO and CIFMS in Nigeria.
  • Conducted a Diagnostic Survey of the Microinsurance sector in Nigeria.