Yaounde, Cameroon Africa(Cameroon News) – IFC trains ADVANS Cameroon staff how they can offer support to smaller businesses in a more efficient manner.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today entered into a deal with ADVANS Cameroon to support the microfinance institution in offering training to its branch managers, loan officers and other employees across various business domains on how they can aid and support small sized businesses in a better manner.
As per the deal, ADVANS, which provides credit to micro, small and medium sized enterprises, will launch IFC’s Business Edge program to educate its employees. Business Edge provides soft skills training to aid employees of larger companies and managers of smaller businesses enhance their expertise and use their knowhow to spear head more effective organizations.
Frank Snieders, ADVANS Cameroon General Manager, said, “We are grateful to IFC for its continued support to private sector development in Cameroon. The growth of our business and the increasing role that our institution is playing in the microfinance market in Cameroon today would not have been possible without our great partnership with IFC. ADVANS Cameroon will continue this important partnership”.
IFC Private Enterprise Partnership for Africa General Manager, Jan Schwier, said, “This partnership will help ADVANS Cameroon better serve Cameroon’s important small business sector and demonstrates IFC’s commitment to supporting private sector growth in the country”
IFC has synergized with six consulting firms in Cameroon, which have deployed Business Edge training to various business personnel across in five domains (Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Operations and Personal Productivity Skills). IFC’s Business Edge partners in Cameroon are Africa Audit Council (AAC), Business Management Solutions (BMS), Diversity Management and Consulting (DMC), PANESS Conseil, FIDA Conseil ,Cible.
IFC and ADVANS Cameroon had earlier entered into an agreement to set up a training project and tailor made courses for 160 of the microfinance institution’s small and medium business customers.
IFC’s strategy in Cameroon includes ramping up support to the small and medium enterprise sector; thereby facilitating improvement of the overall business climate; while promoting direct investments in focus area such as energy and infrastructure.
