Thank you for elevating the dialogue around education finance as a significant opportunity and referencing our research in Opportunity EduFinance's "$24 Billion Opportunity" report. Our report and current network of 46 financial institution partners already lending to this sector draws similar conclusions, finding a massive yet under-financed affordable private school market. Financial institutions would be well served to re-examine these schools from the lens of a sustainable SME business model, as you wrote.
In a recent webinar we hosted with three financial institution partners, discussion closely mirrored several points you made in the 2nd blog.
- Opportunity Bank Uganda has proactively addressed a challenge of school property owned by the kingdom by establishing an agreement directly with the kingdom for collateral.
- In Pakistan, the vacuum of FIs willing to lend at SME levels to schools is starting to be seen as an opportunity. Taleem Finance Company Limited was recently established to solely focus on education lending in Pakistan.
- The National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB) in Nigeria has a specific focus on education financing, and is encouraging association members to allocate a portion of their portfolio to education finance, supported by Opportunity EduFinance's technical assistance.
Additional insights by our webinar panelists are available here: https://bit.ly/2WV08UN
Thank you for elevating the dialogue around education finance as a significant opportunity and referencing our research in Opportunity EduFinance's "$24 Billion Opportunity" report. Our report and current network of 46 financial institution partners already lending to this sector draws similar conclusions, finding a massive yet under-financed affordable private school market. Financial institutions would be well served to re-examine these schools from the lens of a sustainable SME business model, as you wrote.
In a recent webinar we hosted with three financial institution partners, discussion closely mirrored several points you made in the 2nd blog.
- Opportunity Bank Uganda has proactively addressed a challenge of school property owned by the kingdom by establishing an agreement directly with the kingdom for collateral.
- In Pakistan, the vacuum of FIs willing to lend at SME levels to schools is starting to be seen as an opportunity. Taleem Finance Company Limited was recently established to solely focus on education lending in Pakistan.
- The National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB) in Nigeria has a specific focus on education financing, and is encouraging association members to allocate a portion of their portfolio to education finance, supported by Opportunity EduFinance's technical assistance.
Additional insights by our webinar panelists are available here: https://bit.ly/2WV08UN