In a recent op-ed piece published in Nigeria’s online Daily Trust, Ms Ijeoma Kalu urges the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to tighten regulation of the microfinance industry and ensure “that only professionals are permitted to practice.” Continue Reading »

The default rate for Pakistan’s microfinance institutions (MFIs) stands at two percent, while non-performing loans of commercial banks is at 12.2 percent, according to an article in Pakistan’s daily The News International. Continue Reading »

Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) Lead Researcher, Mr Adrian Gonzalez, has published a report on MIX titled, “Analyzing Microcredit Interest Rates: A Review of the Methodology Proposed by Mohammed Yunus.” Continue Reading »

The Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network (GHAMFIN), an informal network of institutions and individuals in the microfinance industry, recently expressed concern over the prevalence of unaccredited microfinance institutions (MFIs). Continue Reading »

Event Name: Speaker’s Corner 36: Aligning Stakeholder Interests: Making MFI Transitions Work

Event Date: April 13 to April 15, 2010

Event Location: This is an online forum. To sign up for the discussion, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VZFLY6M

Event Website: http://www.microlinks.org/sc/aligninginterests

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events Continue Reading »

The Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network, an international organization with the goal of connecting microenterprise practitioners, has announced the launch of its Suite of Tools for Microfinance Association Professionals. Continue Reading »

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal’s central bank, is now allowing licensed microfinance institutions (MFIs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to mobilize deposits from the general public. Continue Reading »

The Working Group of the International Migrants Remittances Observatory for Least Developed Countries (IMRO), in partnership with several public and private organizations, has established the World Diaspora Fund (WDF) in Geneva, Switzerland. Continue Reading »

Women’s World Banking (WWB), an organization that provides technical and advisory services to its global network of microfinance institutions (MFIs), has partnered with Wharton’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education to host its first advanced leadership course for microfinance professionals in March. Continue Reading »

CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), a research and policy center housed at the World Bank, is offering eight Summer Fellowship positions to entry-level professionals. Continue Reading »

Event Name: The Frankfurt School Summer Academies 2010

Event Date: July 2 to July 30, 2010

Event Location: Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (Bankakademie)

Event Website: http://www.frankfurt-school.de/content/en/intern_advisory/summer_academies

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events Continue Reading »

Event Name: Chicago Microfinance Conference (CFMC)

Event Date: May 7, 2010

Event Location: University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Event Website: http://www.chicagomicrofinance.com/index.shtml

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events Continue Reading »

Munich Re Foundation, a private grant making foundation, has issued a call for proposals for its sixth annual microinsurance conference, which will take place in Manila, Philippines, on November 9 and November 10, 2010. Continue Reading »

A recent article in The Economist weekly magazine brings attention to the expansion of a new microinsurance scheme in Kenya, known as Kilimo Salama, or “safe farming,” which uses mobile phones and automated solar-power weather stations to provide crop insurance to low-income farmers. Continue Reading »

The nonprofit Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) has released the 2009 benchmarking report for the UEMOA (Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine), the West African Economic and Monetary Union. Continue Reading »

The global news agency Inter Press Service (IPS) recently reported that small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in Senegal are struggling to access funding. Continue Reading »

An article in The Economist weekly magazine titled, “Savings and the Poor: A Better Mattress,” examines the current market for microsavings products and argues for better technology and more flexible regulation. Continue Reading »

At the Women’s World Banking (WWB) Microfinance and Capital Markets conference on March 23 and March 24, Ms Elizabeth Littlefield, the Chief Executive of CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) who has been nominated to head the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), declared “There’s a huge untapped pool of savings in poor households that’s desperate to be taken out from under the bed.” Continue Reading »