::Malawi-India::

India to establish a Pan-African Agriculture Centre in Malawi

The Government of India pledged that it will establish a Pan Africa Agricultural and rural development centre in Africa. The pledge was made at the second Indo-Africa Forum in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in Malawi 2011. The pledge will soon become a reality as India and the African Union have identified Malawi as the ideal location for the international training institute for agricultural and rural development centre. The project will be implemented by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of India.

H.E. Dr. Perks Ligoya, Malawi High Commissioner to India accompanied by Shri. H.R. Dave Director, BIRD; Mr. T.K. Hazarika. Deputy General Manager at NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) and other officials being shown and briefed on some of the technologies used in rural banking by officials of NABARD at Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) in Lucknow on 29 August 2013

The Government of India is working closely with the Malawi High Commission in New Delhi to ensure that all logistical support required for the establishment of the project are properly coordinated. As a precursor to the establishment of the project, the Government of India invited His Excellency Dr. Perks Ligoya to visit NABARD centre in Lucknow in the State of Uttar Pradesh to familiarise himself with the modus operandi of NABARD. The High Commissioner visited the Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) in Lucknow on 29 August 2013. During the visit, the High Commissioner was taken round the centre and was briefed on the various activities being implemented by NABARD. At the end of the visit, the High Commissioner said he was impressed with what he saw at the centre and that he was confident that NABARD would establish a credible institute in Malawi for Africa. The High Commissioner said, the establishment of the centre in Africa will be the fulfillment of the pledge made by the Prime Minister of India on behalf of the Government of India at the second India- Africa Forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2011 to establish six centres of excellence in Africa.

NABARD is an apex development bank in India having headquarters based in Mumbai. It operates throughout the country through its 28 Regional Offices and one Sub-office, located in the capitals of all the states/union territories. It looks after the development of the cottage industry, small industry and village industry, and other rural industries and supports and promotes integrated development through coordination of rural financing activities of all institutions engaged in developmental work at the field level and maintains liaison with Government of India, State Governments, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI). NABARD refinances are available to State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDBs), State Co-operative Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Commercial Banks (CBs) and other financial institutions approved by RBI. While the ultimate beneficiaries of investment credit can be individuals, partnership concerns, companies, State-owned corporations or co-operative societies, production credit is generally given to individuals.

H.E. Dr. Perks Ligoya, Malawi High Commissioner to India accompanied by Shri. H.R. Dave Director, BIRD; Mr. T.K. Hazarika. Deputy General Manager at NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) and other officials being taken around the campus of the Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) in Lucknow on 29 August 2013

BIRD is a training institution under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). It trains stake holders of agriculture and rural banking by conducting in–house, on-location and overseas training programmes for bankers from within and outside the country, officials of central and state governments and NGOs. The training programmes cover a wide range of subjects that include banking, finance, micro finance, financial inclusion, projects, development themes, IT applications in banking, human resource management, etc. BIRD also conducts studies, research and consultancy on contemporary topics in related fields. It is such kind of a model which NABARD intends to establish in Malawi as a Pan -African centre under the Africa Union.

H.E. Dr. Perks Ligoya, Malawi High Commissioner to India being shown and briefed on some of the technologies used in rural banking by officials of BIRD at the Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) in Lucknow on 29 August 2013