Atlantic Microfinance For Africa, known as AMIFA, has won a top prize at the Financial Afrik Awards in Gambia.
The group was named African Champion of Financial Inclusion at the seventh edition of the awards in the Gambian capital, Banjul.
The ceremony was attended by the Gambian president, Adama Barrow, giving the event strong political weight and a clear pan-African tone.
AMIFA is the microfinance arm of Morocco’s Groupe Banque Centrale Populaire, one of the country’s biggest and oldest banks. It works across Africa to support very small businesses and low-income households that struggle to get loans from traditional banks.
The Financial Afrik Awards, launched in 2018, are seen as one of Africa’s main finance events. Each year they honour organisations that help drive economic change across the continent.
Judges said AMIFA stood out for its steady work to close the funding gap faced by small firms and poorer communities. The group uses the reach and backing of a major bank to offer more stable and affordable credit than many small lenders can manage.
AMIFA now operates in several regions. In West Africa, it is active in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal. In Central Africa, it works in Gabon and Cameroon. In the east, it has expanded into Mauritius and Madagascar. This wide presence helped earn it a pan-African title rather than a local one.
The group’s work goes beyond lending. It uses mobile services to reach rural areas, focuses heavily on women-led businesses and offers basic financial training to help clients keep their businesses running.
Speaking at the event, AMIFA’s chief executive Mouhssine Cherkaoui said the award confirmed the strength of the strategy set by Groupe BCP. He said it showed real progress in improving access to finance while supporting local economies. He also dedicated the prize to the group’s clients, partners and more than 1,100 staff, praising their daily work on the ground.
