For resilience, easing service delivery: Mitanyen Credit Union crowned Best People-oriented Microfinance Institution.

The award was handed to the management of MITACCUL, at its head office in Bamenda, on Thursday, October 30, 2025. 

The recognition positions the credit union a notch higher than other microfinance institutions in terms of service delivery and development. Several staff of the credit union and some members lived the ceremony. 

Prime International Press Award, it should be said, is an initiative of some journalists of the North West Region. The award initiative is in its 4th edition.  It aims to recognise institutions and persons who have remained resilient in the face of the crisis affecting the North West and South West Regions.

Why Mitanyen Credit Union won 

Journalist Mokum Thomas, one of the organisers of Prime International Press Award, said Mitanyen Credit Union defeated other microfinance institutions in the category because of its resilience and innovation in the context of challenges.

Mokum also hailed the credit union for ample strides made to bring about tech-driven innovation for the good of its members and the community.

This, he explained, follows a survey conducted by some journalists drawn from some national and international media houses.

Mokum called on management of the credit union not to go sleep but to continue breaking the records in quality service delivery.  He also saluted the MITACCUL for the cream of committed and morally upright staff. 

Enter MITACCUL General Manager 

The General Manager of Mitanyen Credit Union, Khan Justice Fon, who received the award on behalf of the microfinance institution expressed gratitude to organisers of Prime International Press Award for paying keen attention to the activities of the institution and for the award. 

The General Manager said Mitanyen Credit Union has not only been resilient and determined to serve its members but has gone ahead to engage development moves that eases service delivery. 

"We have just developed an online app to help our members be able to carry out their transactions wherever they may be, even from the comfort of their bedrooms," Khan revealed. 

He disclosed that the application can be found on Play store and App store and easily downloaded. He said the move to digitalise service through the application is to reduce congestion at branches and enable members to engage transactions even from abroad.  

He said the recognition will also give the credit union wider international visibility. 

The General Manager used the opportunity to praise the praise the the dynamic staff for their commitment and determination to give out the best of services to the members. 

He said with the quality of services delivered, Mitanyen is an exemplary credit union which is admired by many. 

The General Manager said the credit union has also had major breakthroughs in overcoming the challenge of loan delinquency from most members. 

With extensive supervisory support from CamCCUL network, the General Manager said productivity in Mitanyen has continued to scale in leaps and bounds.

The award comes to add to others recently won by Mitanyen Cooperative Credit Union for its exceptional services. 

The microfinance institution earlier this year won The Guardian Post’s 2024 Best Customer-Friendly Microfinance Institution Award for offering speedy and reliable services to its ever-growing members and for easing access to loans at affordable rates.

25 years of steady growth & excellence

Mitanyen Cooperative Credit Union which saw the light of day on January 16, 2000, in Bamenda, has grown steadily to be among the top microfinance institutions in the country.

From just 137 members registered during its launch some 25 years ago, MITACCUL today counts over 15,000 members. The initial shares/savings of 7.5 million FCFA have today grown to over 10 billion FCFA and a balance sheet of over 13 billion FCFA.

The Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union Limited, CamCCUL, which is the leading microfinance network in CEMAC Subregion, ranks MITACCUL among the top four microfinance institutions in the country. 

The ranking is based on aspects such as membership, capital, assets, interest rates amongst other. As at December 2024, MITACCUL had twelve operation branches and eleven cash hubs, in addition to the head office in Bamenda.

The 12 functional branches are in Santa, Pinyin and Food Market in the North West Region; Bonaberi, Akwa and Bonamoussadi all in Douala. The others are found in Yaounde, Mamfe, Bafoussam and Buea.

The cash hubs spread out in three of the country’s 10 Regions are found at the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Mile 4 Nkwen, Foncha Junction, Up Station, Ntarikon, Bambili, Idenau, Mile 4 Limbe, Bonaberi, Douala Village and Mutengene.

At creation, two names were proposed for the financial institution during the launch in 2000; Millenium Cooperative Credit Union Ltd and Mitanyen Cooperative Credit Union Limited. The latter was unanimously adopted by majority of the members. Mitanyen means “Market for Pinyin people”.

Digitalised services

The services offered by MITACCUL include among others daily savings, loans, inter branch transfers, cheque clearing, cash hubs and preference shares. The services have become increasingly digitalised. The digital transactions are helping to keep members far away from financial stress.

Members are now able to do remittance and access all services offered by MITACCUL on their mobile devices and must not go to cash points or branches before doing any transaction.

The institution introduced the digital services with the intention to reduce queues in offices and cash points. Money transfer services through Western Union, Wafacash, Moneygram, Orange Money and MTN Mobile, are also being provided by the microfinance institution. 

The institution’s core values include members’ satisfaction, reliability and stability, fidelity, professionalism, accountability, honesty and trust, cooperative spirit as well as sustainability, credibility and transparency.

MITACULL has as vision to financially empower members by giving deserved returns on their investments and alleviating poverty through small and large-scale business financing.

By Ndimbe Usman

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3614 of Monday November 03, 2025