Microfinance Toolkit - Financing for Growth

Started in Delta State in 1987 with a few loans from the promoter's own pocket.
By 1991 the institution started receiving funding from Ford Foundation
They have been getting funding from organizations in Bangladesh, Canada and the Netherlands since 1992
USAID, UNDP and the World Bank started contributing funds in 2001
By December 2007 they were reporting US$16.3 million in loans to over 130,000 customers

We have structured our lessons into a series of logical and imitable steps, which we present to you as our MFI PORTFOLIO ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE”

Global Networking: We enlist your bank in the world’s top microfinance fund networks to give you global visibility and enhance your chances of being noticed by global microfinance funds.

Disclosure and Transparency Compliance: Fund managers require certain levels of information disclosure and transparency from MFIs requesting investment funds. We make sure your listing meets set standards and periodically review and update your listing to ensure compliance with the disclosure and transparency requirements of these networks and their investors. This positively impacts on your ability to attract investment funds.

Featured Listings: Competition for MFI investment funds is keen. We adopt effective internet technology strategies to ensure that your listing remains close to the top of the long list of MFIs in any of the listing categories in these databases. This means that your institution will most likely be seen close to the top of the list by fund managers seeking investment outlets.

Sound Ratings: Without a sound rating by a globally recognized MFI rating agency, no funding institution will touch an MFI. We work with you to ensure that your institution secures good ratings from at least one of the world’s most-recognized MFI rating agencies. Under this module:

We conduct a mock assessment exercise using global best practices to ensure that your organization is ready before the rating agency arrives. This approach makes the live assessment exercise less expensive and more efficient for you, and the rating agency leaves with a much more positive impression of your bank
We prepare your in-house team for engagement with the agency during the live assessment to achieve optimal results

Integration with Global Micro-Lenders: We use our technology capabilities to help our clients connect to some retail level micro-lenders across the globe through such platforms as Kiva and MicroPlace. By affiliating with these platforms, a microfinance institution in Nigeria has already grown its loan portfolio from N50 million in 2000 to N1.96 billion in 2007. This module of the package has two components:

Initial enrollment in the various micro-lending networks
On-going database and relationship management to ensure a steady stream of loanable funds to your portfolio.