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Microfinance sustainability? by F.NDIAYE

Friday 4 June 2010, 09:39

Fodé NDIAYE’s book wonders about the microfinance and its outlooks in Africa.
Called “Microfinance in West Africa, what viability?” the title sets clearly the stake of this thought down: How to make microfinance accessible to everyone?

For the author, the analysis of the viability of microfinance must be improved to make it more accessible, and the aim of this book is to contribute to this through the detailed study of two Microfinance Institutions in West African Monetary Union, ACEP (Alliance pour l’Epargne et le Crédit) in Senegal, and PADME (Association pour la Promotion et l’Appui au Développement de Micro-Entreprises), in Benin.

He presents the major concepts of microfinance, inclusive finance and sustainability
and their links with economic theory.
He broadens the concept of financial services accessible to everyone - Indeed poor people need credit, but they also need savings and insurance!

This thought is based on data collected over a ten year field survey. The text is well-documented, with maps, definitions and tables of indicators in appendix, this makes of this recent book an essential reading to get a good understanding on the situation of MFI and microfinance in Africa.
It is useful to anyone aiming at better understanding issues of sustainability of inclusive financial sectors.

Fode Ndiaye, PhD, agronomist, graduate of Harvard Kennedy School (USA), has gained a great experience in the field of the financing of the development, particularly in microfinance.
He is the regional manager for Western and Central Africa of the Equipment Fund of United Nations - Inclusive Finance. He is a member of RAFAD Foundation.

The book can be ordered on the web site of the publishing L’Harmattan

www.editions-harmattan.fr/