Success of the Agricultural and Rural Finance training programme (FAR2023) in Togo and strengthening of the alumni community

Agriculture is often overlooked by financial institutions as it is perceived as too risky and complex to finance; yet, this sector is crucial for improving the livelihoods of rural and vulnerable populations. The continuous success of the FAR training programme since 2019 is due to its ability to address a crucial need for knowledge and experience sharing in agricultural finance. 

Thanks to this training, participants, who are professionals in the inclusive finance sector, feel better prepared to meet the challenges related to the agricultural sector and are thus better equipped to meet the specific financing needs of smallholder farmers and other value chain actors. In addition, they benefit from a peer community with whom they can continue exchanges and learning after the training.

Confirming the interest and demand for this training, the in-person session of the FAR2023, jointly organised by ADA and the FAO, took place in Lomé, Togo the week before the African Microfinance Week (SAM2023). 40 agricultural finance professionals from 22 English- and French-speaking African countries were selected to take part in the session to deepen their knowledge after the e-learning session in April 2023 and expand their professional networks. 14 experts in 10 courses, 5 plenary sessions and 1 field visit contributed to the high satisfaction rate of 3.7 out of 4 expressed by the participants.

“The biggest advantage of this face-to-face session was the sharing of experience and good practice learned from the trainers and participants. The exchanges were very fruitful.”
— A participant from an MFI in Burkina Faso

“The field visit enabled me to gain a better understanding of the agricultural financing mechanism by highlighting a practical case.”
— A participant from an MFI in Mauritania

The following week, during the SAM2023, the FAR Alumni meeting gathered 32 former participants from the 2019 to 2023 cohorts. This meeting enabled alumni to share experiences and success stories related to the implementation of agricultural finance products and services developed as a result of the FAR training. The meeting also provided the opportunity to discuss the development of the alumni association, thereby strengthening their network and impact in the agricultural finance sector.

Applications for the next edition will open in February 2024 on ADA's website.