Accion Microfinance Bank is partnering the prestigious Frankfurt School of Finance and Management Bankakademie HfB to support its middle management team with capacity building.
The training, which aims to strengthen and retain the middle management team of the bank, is made possible through the regional MSME Investment Fund for sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA). The Frankfurt business school ranks at 20 in the Financial Times world business schools rankings for 2014.
The training facilitated by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management includes a mini-MBA, business skills acquisition and management training. It also includes relevant soft skills such as leadership, management and supervisory skills as well as relevant technical skills that will enable a sustainable growth plan for the participants.
The training, presently ongoing, is scheduled to hold over a period of three months and participants will receive certificates on completion. The facilitators of the training programme will also run a train-the-trainer course to ensure sustainability of the programme over time. Over 100 middle management employees are expected to benefit from the programme.
The success of any organisation is directly linked to the skills and capabilities of its workforce as well as its business practices. Appraising the partnership with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Bunmi Lawson, CEO, Accion Microfinance Bank, said: “Our people are our greatest asset. We lay special emphasis on developing and improving the skills and competencies of our employees, not only for their benefit, but also for the success of the bank.”
Setting the pace for best practices in human resource management, Accion Microfinance Bank has made colossal investments in the development of its employees by establishing several demand-driven and customised trainings for their benefit. Employees are given regular training in microfinance and financial management; several employees have attended various leadership courses provided by Accion International in conjunction with Credit Suisse, and others have obtained scholarships to attend the Boulder Institute of Microfinance Training in Turin, Italy; Harvard Business School-Accion Programme on strategic leadership in inclusive finance training, the School of African Microfinance in Mombasa, Kenya, and the Lagos Business School.
Emmanuel Michael, head, human resources Accion Microfinance Bank, explained: “We believe in the potential of our employees. Our aim is to achieve an overall human capital development goal of building world-class employees, engaging and retaining the best people while providing them with an enabling work environment.”
Accion Microfinance Bank regularly participates in the Nigeria Job Fair, sharing its best practices in human resource management and employee engagement. The bank also uses the opportunity to seek for fresh talent for it workforce. The combination of a highly skilled workforce and excellent business practices have led Accion to win the Lagos State Enterprise (LEAD) award for Best Microfinance Bank in Lagos State for three consecutive years since 2011.
With all these training and development initiatives, it is no wonder the employees are proud to be part of the success of the bank. Accion Microfinance Bank was voted one of the Top 5 Companies for Outstanding Work Place Practices in Nigeria by Great Place to Work Nigeria in 2012.
