Microfinance leaders from more than 40 countries will meet in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in April to seek ways of addressing poverty in the developing world, organizers said on Wednesday.
Microcredit Summit Campaign Director Sam Daley-Harris told a media briefing in Nairobi the April 7-10 conference will provide an opportunity for the development of a vibrant microfinance industry in the region.
Daley-Harri said prudent management and capacity building among these institutions will be among the key issues to be addressed at the Africa-Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit.
"The key focus for the Summit will be finding ways of ending poverty and providing the opportunity of prosperity to people all over the world," Daley-Harris told journalists.
"The goal of the Africa Region Microcredit Summit is to catalyze commitment among practitioners in both Africa and the Middle East to reach and empower the poorest people across the region," he said.
Daley-Harris said the conference will be the most exciting regional summit ever and the largest microfinance gathering ever held in Africa.
The summit will focus on urban poverty by bringing attendees to visit any of the seven leading microfinance organizations in Kenya.
Daley-Harris said the summit which will be the largest microfinance gathering ever held in Africa and the Middle East will bring together microcredit practitioners, advocates, educational institutions, donor agencies, international financial institutions involved with microcredit to promote best practices in the field.
"It is our strong belief that mainstreaming microfinance in the financial sector is the most prudent thing to do for all governments in an attempt to make significant impact on poverty levels in this region," he said.
"The summit will offer a great opportunity to microcredit practitioners to demonstrate through planned plenary sessions, exhibitions, field visits and workshops that microfinance has the capacity to reach the poor, change lives and to end poverty," Daley-Harris said.
He noted that the microfinance industry enables the poor to lead in poverty eradication, thus enabling the attainment of Millennium Development Goals.