Rural Finance

1. Define key concepts in cooperative and rural financing.
2. Understand the benefits and approaches to rural finance.
3. Explain the Nigerian rural finance system and savings mechanisms.
4. Distinguish different investment appraisal techniques.
5. Understand cooperative banking structure and loan repayment problems.

13 weeks, about 34 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1:

   • Unit 1: Rural Financing · 2 hours

     Understand the concept of finance and its importance in business.. Define rural area and rural finance.. Identify characteristics of rural areas and challenges in rural financial service provision..

2. Week 2Module 1:

   • Unit 2: Rural Finance Evolving Paradigms · 2 hours

     Examine the lessons learnt from the old paradigm.. Understand the new rural finance paradigms and their objectives.. Differentiate between old and new paradigms in rural finance..

3. Week 3Module 1:

   • Unit 3: Rural Finance Approaches · 2 hours

     Discuss approaches supporting the provision of rural financial services.. Identify rural financial products.. Analyze the challenges in providing financial services to rural areas..

4. Week 4Module 1:

   • Unit 4: Rural Financing Historical Overview · 2 hours

     Explain the history of cooperative credit movement and its founders.. Analyze Schulze Delitzch's urban bank model.. Describe the large area of cooperation in rural financing..

5. Week 5Module 2:

   • Unit 1: Savings Mobilization · 2 hours

     Ascertain the importance of savings mobilization in rural areas.. Discuss the mechanisms used in mobilizing savings.. Understand the concepts of credit (lending) and leasing in rural finance..

6. Week 6Module 2:

   • Unit 2: Objectives of Promoting Rural Finance · 2 hours

     Explain rural financial activities operating outside the formal financial system.. Enumerate the basic principles for cooperative financing.. Ascertain the importance of finance in rural cooperative business..

7. Week 7Module 2:

   • Unit 3: Nature of Nigerian Rural Financial System · 2 hours

     Understand the cooperative financial structure.. Know the structure of the cooperative financial system.. Discuss ways to access finance using cooperative financial institutions, banks, and insurance..

8. Week 8Module 2:

   • Unit 4: Financing of Cooperatives · 2 hours

     Discuss the sources of finance to cooperatives.. Enumerate limitations of cooperatives in obtaining funds.. Analyze internal and external financing options for cooperatives..

9. Week 9Module 2:

   • Unit 5: Time Value of Money · 2 hours

     Discuss the concept of the time value of money.. Explain the methods used to adjust the impact of time on money.. Apply time value of money concepts to rural finance scenarios..

10. Week 10Module 3:

    • Unit 1: Discounted Cash Flow Criteria · 2 hours

      Understand discounted cash flow criteria in investment decision making.. Discuss the practical applications of discounted cash flow methods.. Apply NPV and IRR methods to evaluate rural investment proposals..

    • Unit 2 Net Present Value (NPV) Vs Internal Rate of Return (IRR) · 2 hours

      Compare the Net Present Value (NPV) with the Internal Rate of Return (IRR).. Identify the source of their differences.. Apply incremental approach to resolve conflicts between NPV and IRR..

11. Week 11Module 3:

    • Unit 3 Cooperative Banks · 2 hours

      Explain the characteristics of cooperative banks.. Discuss the objectives of cooperative banks.. Analyze the role of cooperative banks in rural development..

    • Unit 4 Problems of Loan Repayment in Cooperative Banks · 2 hours

      Ascertain the problems of loan repayment in cooperative banks.. Proffer advice to the bank and clients on how to minimize default.. Develop strategies for effective loan recovery in cooperative banks..

12. Week 12Module 4:

    • Unit 5 Cooperative Organizational Structure · 2 hours

      Discuss the cooperative organizational structure.. Analyze the roles of societies, unions, and apexes in cooperative governance.. Understand the importance of effective cooperative management..

    • Unit 1 Cooperative Institutions · 2 hours

      Understand the history and operations of formal financial institutions.. Analyze the roles of these institutions in rural credit economy.. Discuss the lending operations of the Bank of Agriculture..

13. Week 13Module 4:

    • Unit 2 Rural Development Programmes In Nigeria · 2 hours

      Learn the objects for establishing rural development initiatives.. Understand their modes of operation and challenges they faced.. Analyze the impact of NAPEP and NEEDS on rural development..

    • Unit 3 Rural Financial Institutions · 2 hours

      Understand formal, semi-formal, and informal financial providers.. Examine the rotating savings and credit association (rosca).. List the role of rural financing and ways to stimulate rural savings..