4th Annual National Microfinance & Savings Group Conference 2026

November 19th – 20th 2026

Theme
Strengthening Sustainable Financial Inclusion for Socioeconomic Transformation of Uganda

To Register. CALL: 0772426359

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About the Event

The biggest event of the year

The 4th National Microfinance and Savings Group Conference provides a national platform to translate policy commitments into implementable actions; align microfinance and savings ecosystems with Uganda’s growth and transformation agenda; and strengthen financial systems that are resilient, inclusive, data-driven, and self-sustaining.

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Background

Microfinance and savings groups have been vital in deepening financial inclusion and reducing poverty—especially among low-income, rural, and marginalized Ugandans.
According to Finscope Uganda 2023, 77% of adults now have access to financial services (up from 58% in 2018), with mobile money leading at 70%. Yet challenges persist, particularly for youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
With growing threats from climate change, economic inequality, and digital disruption, the sector must evolve to integrate environmental sustainability, resilience, and social justice into financial inclusion efforts.

Purpose

The conference aims to unite stakeholders across Uganda’s financial ecosystem to re-strategize the future of microfinance and savings groups, driving inclusive growth, green economic transformation, and equitable opportunities for all.

Objectives

Determine strategies for strengthening financial sector data and information governance to support evidence-based policy and investment decisions.
Popularize Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainable finance frameworks within Uganda's financial sector;
Appraise and consolidate economic and financial empowerment outcomes from public, private sector, and development partner interventions;
Advance regulatory coherence and digital governance across Microfinance, Savings Groups, Tier 4 institutions, and Digital Financial Services (DFS)

Conference Programme

Sub-theme One: Institutional Coordination and Data Ecosystems for the Financial Sector

This sub-theme will examine how stronger institutional coordination and trusted data ecosystems can improve economic policy, financial sector regulation, institutional management, and investment decisions. It responds directly to persistent gaps in the availability, quality, comparability and use of data across the financial sector, with particular attention to Tier 4 institutions.

Thur Nov 19 2026

10:00 AM to 1:30 PM

Sub-theme Two: Operationalizing ESG in the Tier 4 Sector

This sub-theme will move ESG in the Tier 4 sector from a broad principle to an operational framework. The conference will present the Tier 4 ESG Framework and show how Environmental, Social and Governance considerations can be embedded in governance, strategy, credit appraisal, product design, risk management, internal controls, reporting and day-to-day decision-making.

Thur Nov 19 2026

02:00 PM to 05:00 PM

Sub-theme Three: Strengthening partnerships and incentive structure in financial service delivery

This sub-theme will examine how Government, financial institutions, technology providers, development partners and community-based organizations can leverage their respective strengths to expand sustainable financial-service delivery. Discussions will draw on practical experiences, including public–private partnerships, the GROW Project, management of multiple banking partners and technology partnerships such as the Wendi model.

Fri, Nov 20, 2026

09:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Sub-theme Four: Tier 4 Regulatory Environment

This sub-theme will focus on practical strategies for addressing fragmentation in Uganda's Tier 4 regulatory environment. Its objective is to clarify where mandates, requirements, and supervisory practices overlap or leave gaps, and to agree on implementable coordination measures that enable the Microfinance Regulatory Directorate and other responsible actors to regulate proportionately, protect consumers and support responsible innovation.

Fri, Nov 20, 2026

11:00 AM to 01:00 PM

Panel Session: Sharing Experiences from Different Perspectives

This panel session will provide participants with valuable insights and updates on key developments within microfinance sector regarding regulation. The panel will bring together representatives from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; the Microfinance Regulatory Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; the Bank of Uganda; the Uganda Cooperative Savings and Credit Union (UCSCU); VisionFund Uganda; and the money lenders.

Fri, Nov 20, 2026

02:00 PM to 04:00 PM

Full Schedule

Keynote Speakers & Panelists

Sybil Chidiac, Senior Programme Officer, Gates Foundation

Keynote Speaker

Sybil Chidiac is a Senior Program Officer, Economic Opportunity Africa, in the Africa India Offices Division at the Gates Foundation, where she leads investments at the intersection of inclusive finance, agricultural livelihoods, and digital public infrastructure to expand economic opportunity for women across sub-Saharan Africa. With 23+ years of experience across Nigeria, East Africa, and francophone West Africa, she has stewarded multimillion-dollar portfolios and built lasting partnerships with governments, multilaterals, financial institutions, and the private sector to drive systems-level change.

In Nigeria, she helped shape the country's first Women's Economic Empowerment Policy and 5-Year Action Plan and remains a trusted advisor to federal and state governments on inclusive growth.

In Uganda, she has worked with MoFPED, MoGLSD, and MRD, alongside fintechs, Tier 1–4 financial institutions, and credit reference bureaus, to connect savings groups to formal financial products and services — including advancing their registration under the Tier 4 Microfinance and Moneylenders Act and supporting the country's first national Self-Help Group policy and registration platform. Before joining the Gates Foundation, she held senior leadership roles at Grameen Foundation, Freedom from Hunger, and CARE USA, directing programs in more than 20 countries and pioneering mobile-enabled financial services for low-income women.