By Felix Oketcho
Uganda’s Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) has been formally admitted as a fully ratified member of the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI), a major milestone that strengthens Uganda’s footprint in the continent’s development finance landscape.
The announcement was made during the 51st AADFI General Assembly held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on May 26, 2025. MSC’s membership certificate was officially presented by Dr. Patricia Ojangole, the newly elected AADFI President and Managing Director of the Uganda Development Bank (UDB), and received by Ms. Yvonne Nabasa, Manager for Strategy and Planning at MSC.“This membership signals a strong vote of confidence in the MSC’s work and positioning as a key driver of inclusive finance in Uganda,” said Nabasa after receiving the certificate.
MSC’s inclusion in the AADFI opens a new chapter in Uganda’s efforts to align its development finance institutions with continental standards and best practices. AADFI brings together national development finance institutions from across Africa to promote cooperation, share knowledge, and mobilize resources for sustainable development.
As a member, MSC will gain access to technical assistance, peer learning, and regional integration opportunities — benefits expected to enhance its capacity to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), SACCOs, and community financial initiatives across Uganda.
https://269ed16032a7c0565df86b7680bcaac8.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html The move also deepens Uganda’s stake in shaping Africa’s financial inclusion and economic transformation agenda. “This is not just recognition. It’s also a responsibility for MSC to benchmark itself against Africa’s top development finance institutions,” said Dr. Ojangole. “It aligns with Uganda’s broader goal of using finance to unlock socio-economic transformation, especially for underserved communities.”
The MSC, a government-owned institution under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, is mandated to offer affordable microfinance services to foster grassroots development. Its work includes managing government special funds such as the Emyooga programme and the Presidential Initiative on Wealth and Job Creation.
Development experts say this milestone could help MSC adopt more sustainable financing models, improve governance frameworks, and attract continental and international partners seeking credible institutions to channel impact investments.The development comes at a time when African countries are increasingly relying on domestic development finance institutions to close infrastructure gaps, support SMEs, and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
With its new AADFI status, MSC joins Uganda Development Bank (UDB) as part of a growing group of Ugandan institutions that are helping redefine the country’s role in Africa’s economic future.