COPEDU PLC is a licensed microfinance institution that provides a wide range of financial services—primarily credit and savings—to individuals and businesses. The institution was officially registered as a Microfinance Company with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on February 21, 2013, and received certification from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) on March 13, 2014, authorizing it to offer microfinance services in Rwanda. On January 25, 2019, the institution changed its name to COPEDU PLC in line with Law No. 17/2018 of April 13, 2018, which governs commercial companies in Rwanda. This transformation marked COPEDU’s transition into a Public Limited Company, enabling it to raise capital by offering shares to the public. Origins and Evolution COPEDU PLC began as COPEDU-KIGALI, a cooperative microfinance initiative founded by the non-profit organization DUTERIMBERE ASBL on June 15, 1997. The cooperative was based on a feasibility study conducted by DUTERIMBERE, which revealed a significant potential for improving access to savings and loan services through a cooperative model. In response, DUTERIMBERE ASBL collaborated with other partners to establish COPEDU-KIGALI, which initially served only Kigali City and the former Kigali-Ngari region. In 2005, COPEDU-KIGALI received a license from the National Bank of Rwanda to offer deposit and lending services. To enhance its operations, the institution began incorporating technology in 2008. Following a resolution passed at the General Assembly in October 2009, COPEDU-KIGALI changed its name to COPEDU. Then, during the General Assembly held on December 22, 2012, COPEDU transitioned from a cooperative to a company structure and adopted the name COPEDU PLC. At the time of this transformation, COPEDU PLC had 12,996 shareholders, all of whom were former members of the cooperative. The company had a total share capital of 790,156,800 Rwandan Francs, equivalent to 1,975,392 shares valued at 400 Rwandan Francs each. Current Operations Today, COPEDU PLC operates across Kigali City and the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The institution’s headquarters are located in the Kicukiro District of Kigali.