Driving Transformation in Microfinance : Celebrating Progress and Investing in the Future
Written By Admin Published on July 17, 2025

Rwanda’s microfinance sector continues to play a crucial role in promoting financial inclusion, particularly among the rural population. As of 2024 records, the country has over 460 microfinance institutions, including :
• 3 Microfinance Banks
• 19 Microfinance Companies
• 416 Umurenge SACCOs
• 22 Non-Umurenge SACCOs
Rwanda has made significant strides in financial access, with 96% of adults now financially included (7.8 million people) and 92% having access to formal financial services. This is why RICEM is committed to supporting employees working in microfinance institutions by strengthening their capacity. This helps the workforce to improve service delivery to clients and enhance their knowledge across all departments through the Certified Microfinance Program(CMP).

On March 28th, 2025, a total of 180 CMP professionals graduated after completing a year-long capacity-building program. This special occasion was a major event, attended by various stakeholders, including representatives from the National Bank of Rwanda, German Sparkassenstiftung, AMIR, MINICOM, Chancen International, RCA, as well as board members and managers of microfinance institutions, among others.

Looking ahead, Rwanda aims for 100% financial inclusion by 2030, with a focus on expanding digital finance, promoting financial literacy, and providing affordable and accessible services. Together with our stakeholders, we remain committed to advancing professionalism within the microfinance industry. The new intake for the 2025–2026 cohort is already ongoing across all our training sites : Kigali, Karongi, and Musanze. Our goal is to contribute meaningfully to the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) by emphasizing job creation and equipping the workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles and drive sector-wide impact.