By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Agency for Sustainable Microfinance has reiterated it’s resolve to partner with Global Affairs Canada in acquiring knowledge and technical support for enhanced service delivery to small businesses in Bauchi State.
The Director General of the Agency, Alhaji Muhammad Nura Dan’madami stated this when officials of Global Affairs Canada Nigeria Country office visited the Agency recently in Bauchi.
The DG told the visitors that the Agency was established in 2012 by the state government to strengthen the operation of microfinance institutions in order to provide efficient services to citizens at the grassroots by assisting them to access financial interventions from relevant institutions.
Nura Dan’madami said the agency has since embarked on an advocacy visit to various stakeholders to seek their support in commencing the implementation of a program tagged ‘Microfinance Institution Building Program for Poverty Reduction (MIFIN)’ across the 20 LGAs of the state.
He explained that, the MIFIN program would sustain on the existing structures of the Village Savings and Loans Scheme implemented by Oxfam Nigeria in the 6 local government areas of the state and further replicate it in the 20 LGAs where OXFAM has not covered.
While congratulating Oxfam for the successful implementation of the program in the benefiting communities, the DG said,” we are honoured to receive this very important visitors to our Agency. We are always looking for partnership, collaboration and mutual relationship from partners that shares the same ideals with us. As you may be aware, we have signed an MoU with Oxfam for technical support and transfer of knowledge to the staff of the Agency who would serve as master trainers of the VSLA for the implementation of our Microfinance Institution Building Program for Poverty Reduction (MIFIN).
“The MIFIN programme is designed to enhance access of MSMEs with finance and it focuses on strengthening microfinance institutions including small informal groups like the VSLA by providing them technical support to access capital, skills and linkages under a favourable policy environment.
“I am glad to inform you that MIFIN program is targeting to reach out to at least 100 groups of 25 persons in each of 323 wards of Bauchi State, in an effort to reduce poverty, with a view to improving the economic status of the citizens, especially those from the rural areas”, said Nura Dan’madami.
Earlier in her remarks, the team lead of the visiting GAC officials , Mrs Pamela described the establishment of the Agency by the state government as a strategic move towards ensuring effective implementation of micro financing initiatives for poverty reduction in the state.
She said they were in the Agency to consolidate on the mutual partnership between the two Agencies and to also appreciate the the state government for establishing the agency, which she observed will go along way in assisting citizens to access micro financing intervention to improve their business activities and livelihood.
Pamela applauded the agency for partnering with Oxfam Nigeria in the implementation of Village Savings and Loans Scheme (VSLA) in the 20 LGAs of Bauchi state and welcomed the Microfinance Institution Building Program for Poverty Reduction (MIFIN) initiated by the State Government, through the Agency.
“We are happy to interact with you today, we have seen the commitment of the Bauchi State in the area of poverty alleviation programmes through this Agency, Village Savings and Loans Scheme is key to tackling poverty, as it inculcate the culture of Savings among its members. We are here to tell you that we are ready to support Bauchi State Government to implement its various poverty alleviation programmes in recognition of its efforts to provide citizens with opportunities to become self-reliant.”
The GAC official further urged the state government to sustain the effort in providing windows of opportunities to the people of the state, especially rural dwellers, to access financial intervention toward mitigating poverty and hunger in the society.