Business
Group Lauds Workshops On Microfinance Banks
The Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMBs), Ikeja branch, Mr Dele Oyekanmi, last Thursday said the various workshops had impacted positively on operations of microfinance banks.
Mr Oyekanmi told newsmen in Lagos that the relevance of training in the microfinance industry could not be underscored.
He said that more of such gesture was still required for efficiency and better service delivery in the industry, and recalled that before now, microfinance banks were being managed as commercial banks, because most of the operators had commercial banking background.
“That had been a major challenge in the microfinance sub-sector,’’ he said
Mr Oyekanmi said that there was a great difference between commercial banking and microfinance banking, adding that commercial banks focused on the average people, while the microfinance banks served the poor.
He said that the various seminars had improved operators’ service delivery and ultimately, increased customers’ confidence in the microfinance industry.
“Though we are not there yet, there is a great improvement in our operations, compared to when we started.
“The various capacity building programmes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are increasingly transforming the microfinance sub-sector.
“A lot of the operators now understand some of the rudiments of microfinance banking unlike before and people are beginning to build confidence in the operations of microfinance institutions,’’ Oyekanmi said.
He commended the CBN for the ongoing Mandatory Certification Programme for microfinance operators.
Oyekanmi applauded the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for the various training programmes for its members.