29 January 2025

Dr Viani Djeundje Biatat, a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Credit Research Centre, explores the advancement of credit risk assessment in Africa, highlighting his teaching and mentorship at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and its impact on financial inclusion and the development of analytical skills across the continent.
Africa highlighted on a world globe (Credit: James Wiseman, Unsplash)

The UEBS Credit Research Centre (CRC) is dedicated to advancing financial inclusion by sharing expertise in credit risk assessment, including credit scoring. Credit risk assessment plays a crucial role in reducing costs, minimising bad debt, and increasing credit availability. By doing so, it enables more individuals and businesses to access the funds they need, supporting purchases, investments, and efficient cash flow management.

The increasingly fast digitisation in African economies and growing need for credit makes credit scoring methods and management of scorecards a crucial topic for many African countries. It is with this in mind along with the growing demand for analytical skills in other sectors that I have contributed to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) by teaching and mentoring graduate students across several countries over the past seven years.

Last year was particular, as Marc Gaudart, and Paul Randall of Trent Advisory Services, joined me to deliver the first credit risk course at AIMS in Cameroon. They brought valuable insights from their extensive experience in the lending industry, and their contributions enriched the learning experience of the students immensely. The CRC and AIMS were proud to support this initiative.

The motivations of students taking this course speak of their desire to expand their knowledge and their desire to apply the most cutting-edge techniques; from understanding the importance and role of credit risk for operational development in making informed decisions, to wanting to apply mathematical and machine learning techniques in the banking industry.

Personally I didn't know what credit risk was before but thanks to Viani, Marc & Paul, I can say I am a risk manager.
Cameroonian data scientist and Mastercard scholar, course participant

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I will prepare, and someday my chance will come." It’s a pleasure to contribute to preparing these brilliant African students for their future. While many of them may feel that their paths ahead seem uncertain, I have no doubt that their "chances" will come. My hope is that many of them will go on to play pivotal roles in shaping the future of the continent and the world.

Viani Djeundje Biatat

Viani Djeundje Biatat is a Research Fellow at the Credit Research Centre.