Closing Ceremony

The German Sparkassenstiftung Western Africa has successfully concluded its BMZ-funded project, “Sustainable Transformation of the Financial Sector by Strengthening the Credit Union Sector and Promoting Equal Representation of Women and Youth in West Africa (Regional Project).”  under the theme Reflections and Sustainability in Results. 

During the closing conference, partners reflected on the project’s achievements, discussed key challenges encountered, and explored strategies to sustain the results achieved.

The project, which began in June 2023, aimed to improve financial inclusion for previously excluded or disadvantaged population groups by expanding access to financial services. This, in turn, facilitates their participation in economic life and contributes to poverty reduction.

The project strengthened and supported the sustainable development of credit union associations in Ghana, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone, enabling them to provide target-group-oriented and needs-based services to their members. In Senegal, the project focused on supporting microfinance institutions in their transition into well-governed, member-oriented cooperatives, in alignment with the country’s new microfinance law. It also sought to enhance the sector’s capacity to serve local economies and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable populations.

The conference was attended by representatives from the Ghana Co-operative Credit Unions Association (CUA), the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of The Gambia (NACCUG), the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of Sierra Leone (NaCCUA), la Direction de la Microfinance et de l’Inclusion Financière (DMIF), le Ministère de la Microfinance et de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire du Sénégal, and l’Association Professionnelle des Institutions de Microfinance du Sénégal (APIM). Also in attendance were representatives from Sparkasse Attendorn-Lennestadt-Kirchhundem (SPK ALK), as well as the entire DSIK Western Africa team from across the region and headquarters in Bonn.

The ceremony officially concluded with a closing dinner at the German Ambassador’s residence. The evening featured speeches, engaging exchanges, and a celebration of culinary delights from across the partner countries.