Savings Groups National Stakeholder Meeting

This report documents a national stakeholder meeting held in Cotonou, Benin, on February 16, 2017, hosted by the SEEP Network and FSD Africa. The meeting brought together 39 participants from 26 organizations—including government ministries, NGOs, and financial service providers—to explore how Savings Groups (SGs) serve as agents for broader social and economic development in Benin, specifically within the sectors of agriculture, health, and formal financial inclusion.

• Savings Groups (SGs) in Benin have reached over 150,000 members through the promotion of international NGOs such as CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Plan International, and Freedom from Hunger, alongside national partners.
• In the agricultural sector, SGs act as entry points for capacity building via CARE Benin's ACMA program, enabling women farmers to improve production and market access for crops like cassava and palm nuts. While members have improved their income and skills, they face significant market access challenges in Nigeria due to corruption, travel risks, currency fluctuations, and certification requirements.
• A health pilot program by Freedom from Hunger utilizes SGs to combine health education with dedicated health savings funds. As of June 2015, more than 16,000 members saved an average of 100 CFA (approximately $0.16) weekly, and over 2,000 health loans averaging $8.70 were disbursed, leading to increased visits to 43 partner health centers.
• SGs are increasingly used as gateways to formal financial services through programs like UNCDF-MicroLead, which brokers relationships with institutions such as ALIDE and the Alafia consortium. These efforts include piloting financial education and partnering with e-money issuer CARMES to enable digital transactions.
• There is a tension between regulatory authorities and NGOs regarding the formalization of SGs. While the Central Bank seeks to bring SGs under a regulatory umbrella, NGOs argue that SGs require a learning process as informal groups before they can be formalized.
• The meeting identified several priorities for the future of SGs in Benin, including the creation of a national SG working group, the development of a national mapping of SGs, increased investment in digital delivery for rural populations, and the integration of financial education for women and youth.

APA

FSD Africa (2017). Savings Groups National Stakeholder Meeting. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Savings-Groups-National-Stakeholder-Meeting.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. Savings Groups National Stakeholder Meeting. 2017. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Savings-Groups-National-Stakeholder-Meeting.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=Savings Groups National Stakeholder Meeting |date=2017 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Savings-Groups-National-Stakeholder-Meeting.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2017savings, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{Savings Groups National Stakeholder Meeting}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2017}, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Savings-Groups-National-Stakeholder-Meeting.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }