(WEST NILE, UGANDA) – The South Sudanese Refugees Association has signed a contract with Muni University to carry out a market assessment on financial inclusion among urban refugees and vulnerable host communities in West Nile, Uganda.
The study will focus on Arua City and Koboko Municipality, with the aim of evaluating access to financial services, affordability, suitability and usage of both formal and informal financial systems among refugees, migrants and local vulnerable populations.
The assessment is designed to provide data that will guide programme design, partnerships and policy decisions aimed at improving financial access and economic participation for displaced populations and host communities in the region.
Under the agreement, Muni University will lead the research through its Directorate of Graduate Training, Research and Innovation. The university will apply its expertise in refugee livelihoods, financial systems research and community engagement to conduct the assessment.
Findings from the study are expected to inform the development of alternative financial inclusion approaches and livelihood programmes that respond to the needs and economic conditions of refugees and vulnerable communities in West Nile.
The project also aims to support the design of targeted interventions that can improve access to savings, credit and other financial services, with a focus on strengthening household resilience and income generating opportunities.
The contract is part of a wider programme titled “Enhancing community resilience through gender responsiveness and economic empowerment for psychosocial well-being of host and refugee urban communities”.
The programme is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented with technical support from Cities Alliance, with execution led by the South Sudanese Refugees Association in West Nile.
Development partners involved in the programme say improved financial inclusion is central to strengthening economic stability for refugee populations and host communities, particularly in urban settings where access to formal banking services remains limited.
The West Nile region hosts a large number of refugees, creating pressure on local services while also generating opportunities for integrated economic planning between displaced populations and host communities.
The new study is expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve economic participation, reduce dependency on aid and support long term livelihood development for both refugees and surrounding communities in Uganda’s border regions with South Sudan.