HISTORY OF ANINGDOH COOPERATIVE CREDIT UNION LTD

The credit union idea was introduced in Cameroon by Rev. Father Anthony Jansen, a Roman Catholic Priest from Holland in 1963. He formed the first credit union in NJinikom Catholic Church in order to help inhabitants of Njinikom who were too poor to send their children to school. The seed sown by this Dutch mill missionary started with 16 members and total savings of 2100FCA. Today, this ideology has given birth to over 200 credit union found all over the National Territory and has also led to the creation of a giant Microfinance network in the central African Sub- Region, called CamCCUL (Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League) which started as the West Cameroon Credit Union league with Aningdoh Cooperative Credit Union LTD amongst its affiliates.

The Aningdoh cooperative Credit Union LTD is a Category 1 microfinance savings and credit cooperative with acronym AniCCUL which was founded in 1998. It started as a meeting house at the premises of Pa Acho Simon precisely at a hall below blue moon bar, mile two Aningdoh Quarter Bamendankwe. The meeting days were the village country Sundays with savings ranging from 100FCA (one hundred franc) upwards. Once each member savings was up to 3600FCA (three thousand six hundred franc), the savings was used to create his/her account with shares 1000FCFA (one thousand franc); entrance fees 1000FCFA (one thousand franc) and stationary 1.600FCFA (one thousand six hundred franc).  

The first Board members were as follows: Mr. Acho Joseph Nji, president; Mrs. Acho Rose, Vice President; Mrs. Awah Innoncencia, Board secretary; Mr. chubon Abel, Treasurer; Mr. Nsame George, member; Mrs. Lucy Azah, member; Mr. Ndifor Richard Edward, member. The supervisory Board was headed by Mr. Sangbong Richard Ngu, Mr. suh Robert secretary and Muntung Joseph Takwi member. The women committee was headed by Ma Sangbong Veronica, Nsah Angeline che and Julie Ayah Chubon.

Mr. Acho Joseph Nji the pioneer Board President saw it very necessary to form the Aningdoh cooperative credit Union LTD due to the fact that the Bamendankwe Credit Union was mismanaged and many people concentrated only on Njangies. He moved from door to door, Njangi groups in the quarters, churches, business places etc to sensitized people to join the union.

Mr. Abongwa Stephen the first bookkeeper did an excellent job without any salary. He was motivated with the sum of 3000FCFA (three thousand franc) every month by the Board of Directors through their monthly njangi. The Board of directors had no sitting allowance. Mr. Acho Joseph Nji who was very instrumental invited one of his friend, Mr. Nforbin Lawrence a technician and a CamCCUL inspector who controlled our books and did a great job for the growth of the union. The first savings was 11.200 frs. Annual General Meetings and mid-year Education meetings were organized and sponsored by registered members with men bringing drinks and women food.

As the union was fast growing, the Board decided to bring another staff Mr Cletus Nwafor and later Mrs Innoncencia Awah Musa. The office was thereafter transferred nearer the road for accessibility. A Branch office was opened in Bamenda town which was the first in Bamenda chapter in 2005, the Board of Directors now headed by the second Board President Mr. Acho simon Ngwen decided to erect a building as the main office through a decision of the General Assembly located at Mile II Santa Road, Aningdoh Quarter Bamendankwe

Aningdoh credit union Ltd was registered in 2001 and re-registered in 2002 with MINAGRI NO. NWCO/28/000/3343 OF 16/05/2000, COBAC CODE NO. 19482 OF 11/01/2001, MINISTRY OF FINANCE DECISION NO.00353OF 20/08/2001, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CREDIT REGISTRATION NO.EMF/2011/0030, NATIONAL SOCIAL INSURANCE NO. 370.0100383-B and TAX PAYER’S CARD NO. MO5000040657Y.

In 2003, the Bamendankwe credit union merged with Aningdoh cooperative union following restructuring in the Camccul network. ANICCUL is affiliated to Camccul with head office at Mile II Bamendankwe and Branches in Bamenda town. Bamendankwe, Douala, Yaoundé, and Buea. Its balance sheet total now stands at 1.419.341.716fcfa (one Billion, four hundred and fifty nineteen million, three hundred and forty-one thousand, seven hundred and sixteen France) with a total membership of 4352 as at 31^st December 2021