Microfinance Bulletin was first published on July 1st, 2008 by AIJ Alternative Resources Limited to guide microfinance operators and others who champion the course of poverty alleviation to achieve the highest standard of performance. The aim of the magazine is to serve the over 3,500 microfinance institutions in Nigeria and the West African sub-region and be their medium for information dissemination, education, entertainment, and promotion of micro-business activities.

It is an indisputable fact that the African poor need more than microfinance to address the causes and conditions of his poverty. He needs access to education and other forms of skill acquisition training, affordable medical services, water and electricity, family planning, social support network, good nutrition and others. The Microfinance Bulletin will provide well written articles periodically on most of these issues to guide policy makers on how best to improve the level of infrastructure in the environment and for the poor to improve the quality of their lives.

Joel I. Ahimie is the Chief Executive of the AIJ Alternative Resources Limited and the Publisher of Microfinance Bulletin. He was with the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation [NDIC] as the Deputy Director and Head of Assets Management Department, in 2008. Before then, he was the head of Special Insured Institutions Department between 2003 and 2008; he was also at the Risk Assets Unit of the Receivership and Liquidation Department of the Corporation between 1995 & 2003 where he was responsible for the management of the corporation’s toxic assets. Mr Ahimie has immense experience in bank management, having served in the board of over 12 banks in Nigeria as a Director representing the interest of the CBN and NDIC after their take-over by the regulatory bodies. He was also the appointee of NDIC as the Chairman, Board of Directors of MBL Financial Services Limited and Professional Stockbrokers Limited between 2007 & 2008.

Mr. Joel I. Ahimie holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, USA 1977 and a Master’s Degree from Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri, USA, 1978. He has had other educational training from the University of London in 2002, and at University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Michigan USA 2007. He had additional professional training at the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Arlington, Virginia, USA 2004 and the System Supervisory Education Program of the Federal Reserve Bank, Washington D.C, USA 2005.

Dr Cosmas Alugbuo is a distinguished member of the Editorial Board and the current Head of the Department of Management, Imo State University, Owerri. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Business Administration from the Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Southern Louisiana University, Hammond, USA. He obtained his Ph.D in International Business from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in 2002.

Dr. Cosmas Alugbuo was at various times on the Honour List at the Southern University, Baton Rouge, USA. He was also at the Jutland Technological Institute, Aahrus, Denmark for additional professional training in 1987. Professor Alugbuo has held many appointments and was appointed in 2004 to review and present for the Academic of Management [AOM] at the Briacliffmanor, New York, USA. He is a member of the British Institute of Management and the Nigerian Institute of Management. His areas of interest include, Organization Theory, International Business, Business Policy and Strategy, Management Education, Social Issues in Business, Corporate Governance, Entrepreneurship and Micro-Business Management.

Dr. Rufus Folorunso Akinyooye
Dr. Rufus Folorunso Akinyooye is a member of the Editorial Board and a renowned Publisher. He received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting from Strayer College, Washington, D.C. United States of America in 1976. He was at the Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri and the Southerneastern University, Washington, D. C. where he obtained a combined degree of Masters in Business and Public Administration [MBPA] in 1978. He had his Ph.D from St. Clements University, British West Indies in 2008. Dr. Akinyooye was with the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc for over two and half decades rising to the position of a senior manager in the Credit Policy and Control Department before retiring to private business and publishishing. Amongst his recent works is: The Basel 2 Accord Implementation: Challenges Facing Nigerian Banks.

Dr. (Mrs) Bukola Ahimie is a professional counsellor. She completed her M.Ed and PhD from the University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos in 2007. She obtained a Bachelors Degree from the University of Benin, Benin City in 1999. She is a member of the Counselling Association of Nigeria, the Lagos state chapter and a member of the American Counselling Association. Dr. Ahimie worked as a resident Counsellor in Celtel [now Zain] Telecommunications from 2006 to 2007. Her area of expertise include Providing individual and group counselling to clients struggling with adjustment issues, including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship issues and conflict resolution. Other areas of special interest include, financial counselling for the individual and group, group formation and organisation for micro- borrowers and post-disbursement counselling for loan recipients and counselling for defaulters.