The Microfinance and Community Economic Development programme was initially launched in 2001in collaboration with MAIN and other partnering organization of the university. It is indeed one of a kind academic programme providing a practical understanding of sustainable microfinance and supplying the necessary tools to create and operate sustainable microfinance institutions and services in Africa. This comprehensive programme includes components of distance learning and residential that aims at providing knowledge and skills of development needed by those already working in microfinance and as well individuals seeking to enter or be engaged in the very same growing industry. During the past 20 years MAIN has organized 15 residential programs at the university and graduated a number of practitioners by awarding specialized Diploma on Microfinance and Community Economic Development.

This training is designed for francophone executives and is part of MAIN annual training program since 2006. This training is organized in partnership with the Catholic University of Central Africa (UCAC) in Yaoundé-Cameroun & the Catholic University of Togo in West Africa (UCAO) since 2012 in Togo. These Masters programs are entitled “Management of Microfinance Institutions”. The objective of these programs is to train participants to conduct daily sound and efficient management of an MFI.It mainly aims to better equip managers of MFIs in the following areas: management, financial analysis, social performance, planning, governance, internal control, management of information systems, research methodology so that they can better meet the requirements of the sector that continues to grow.

Designed for two consecutive years, the UCAC training is organized in:

• a residential three-week session each year
• Online session through a e -Learning initiated by MAIN
• Six months of specialization and six months of research to produce a thesis before graduating .
• The new Master program at UCAO lasts 2 years, divided into eight sessions of three weeks each. Six residential sessions, six months for writing a thesis that will be presented by a participant.

These courses are spread over a period of 3 to 5 days. They bring together participants from the different countries or a sub-region around a specific theme. The topics are chosen according to the needs of members of the region or according to the problems faced by MFI at a specific period.

The organization of training based on exchanges between African is an activity to share experiences and reflections on the challenges facing the sector across the continent between members of MAIN.These cross exchanges between institutions allow participants to share their experiences in very specific areas among practitioners.