By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Towards enhancing its performance for improved service delivery in reducing poverty among the underserved community, Bauchi State Agency for Sustainable Microfinance, with technical support from CARE Nigeria has commenced a Three Days capacity building workshop on data gathering exercise for Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Bauchi State.
The objective of the training is to train Bauchi based Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)—working around Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), on how to use the Savings Groups Information Exchange (SAVIX) system to collect accurate data on all existing VSLAs in Bauchi State.
Declaring the training open at Hazibal Hotel Conference Hall Bauchi on Monday, the Director General (DG) of Bauchi State Agency for Sustainable Microfinance, Alhaji Nura Muhammad Danmadami described the SAVIX Management Information System as a “robust platform for tracking and managing VSLA performance and growth across the state.
The DG then urged CSOs to participate actively with a view to cascading the training to field officers and village agents, which will in turn ensure grassroots-level reach.
Danmadami said that a survey contained in Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA 2019) revealed that 61% of adults in Bauchi State lack access to formal financial services and, that the gap has limited the ability of underserved communities to access capital, invest in their livelihoods, and build a stable economic future.
“In response to this challenge, His Excellency, the Governor of Bauchi State, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad approved the establishment of the MIFIN Programme under the Agency, a strategic initiative to extend financial services to underserved communities”.
“This led to the roll out of a non- Interested microcredit revolving loans scheme, targeting savings and loans groups. Through this programme, we successfully disbursed microcredit loans to over 70 VSLAs, empowering more than 5,000 individuals through 7 Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), with total disbursements of about N25 million”, said Nura Danmadami.
The DG also revealed that the partnership between his Agency and CARE Nigeria has led to the generous grant of $50,000 made by CARE Nigeria which had enabled the Agency to deploy the SAVIX Management Information System to deepen the Agency’s performance inline with global best practices.
“Today, we begin a critical step in that journey. We are here to train our Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)—working around Savings groups, on how to use the SAVIX system to collect accurate data on all existing VSLAs.This data gathering phase is to be completed within two weeks after commencement of the exercise.
“Let us approach this assignment with full commitment and a sense of purpose. The work we begin today will define the future of grassroots finance in Bauchi State” enthused the DG.
Making a presentation on the basic principle of the SAVIX system, the acting monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) coordinator of CARE Nigeria, Mr. Raphael Joshua informed the participants that SAVIX is a web-based system for collecting and analyzing data from saving and loan groups that supports projects across different countries
He said the major goal of SAVIX is to enable stakeholders to access and use reliable performance data in the implementation of VSLAs programs.
Speaking further, Mr. Jushua said that deploying SAVIX entrenches improved transparency, accountability, project planning, and also empowers NGOs, donors, and governments to make informed decisions.
Our Correspondent reports that part of the training includes hands-on simulation exercises in addition to presentations made by resource persons.