By Olimatou Coker
National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions (NACCUG) has on Thursday celebrated international credit union day.
NACCUG officers delivered a statement in observance of the day at its headquarters in Kanifing.
Foday Sanyang, general manager, NACCUG, said the celebrations fall on the third Thursday of every October. “As we celebrate ICU day 2020, let us reflect on our achievements and challenges,” he said.
According to GM Sanyang, currently, there are 86,055 credit unions, with 291,432,972 membership in 118 counties worldwide.
He said in The Gambia, NACCUG is the umbrella body with 56 affiliated credit unions and a combined membership of over 87,000.
“This year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ICU day celebration is a low key affair. As a movement, credit unions in The Gambia stepped up to the plate and donated sanitary items to all community-based credit unions. A total of D187,000 was raised,” he highlighted.
Sanyang thanked their development partners; Irish Legue of Credit Union (ILCU) and Saving Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC) for donating face masks to all credit unions and individual credit unions also made donations to their various institutions. He said some even made direct contributions to the Ministry of Health.
Dawda Kujabi, deputy general manager, GTUCCU, said international credit union day is set aside by the World Council of Credit Unions to recognize and promote the importance of credit unions globally.
“Coming back to the theme of this year’s celebrations; inspiring hope for a global community, credit unions give hope to people who are considered old and underprivilege,” he said.
“Our focus is on three things; financial support, education and social responbitilies,” he said.
