Credit Risk Management and Lending Training Course

This five-day course builds the skills to lend well and manage credit risk across the full loan life cycle. It covers credit analysis and the assessment of borrowers, loan structuring and decision making, the management of credit risk at portfolio level, and the handling of problem loans and recovery. Participants leave able to assess and structure credit soundly, manage a loan portfolio with discipline, and protect the institution from avoidable losses.

Lending is how a bank earns its keep, and credit risk is how it most often comes to grief. A single poorly assessed loan rarely sinks a bank, but a pattern of weak credit decisions, concentrated exposures and slow responses to trouble has brought down many. Good credit risk management is therefore not a brake on lending but the discipline that allows a bank to lend confidently and profitably, decision after decision.

This course builds that discipline, grounded in real lending decisions and in the credit environment African banks and lenders actually face. It covers the analysis of borrowers and their ability to repay, the structuring of credit and the decision to lend, the management of credit risk across the whole portfolio, and the early identification and handling of problem loans. Participants leave able to assess a borrower and structure a sound loan, manage credit risk at both the individual and portfolio level, and act early and effectively when credit goes wrong.

• Explain credit risk and map the credit life cycle from origination to close
• Assess a borrower's character, capacity and conditions
• Analyse financial statements and cash flow for credit purposes
• Distinguish between the credit needs of corporate, SME and individual borrowers
• Structure a loan facility and reach a sound credit decision
• Price credit appropriately for the risk it carries
• Manage credit risk at the level of the whole portfolio
• Identify and manage problem loans at an early stage
• Apply recovery, workout and provisioning practice to distressed credit

This course is designed for:

• Credit and lending officers
• Relationship and business banking staff
• Credit risk and analysis staff
• Credit committee members
• Microfinance and SME lending staff
• Recovery and remedial staff
• Internal auditors reviewing credit
• Central bank and supervisory staff

The course uses a practical, case based methodology in which credit techniques are introduced concisely, then applied to real lending cases and portfolio scenarios. Participants assess borrowers, structure facilities and work problem loan cases throughout.

• Expert led sessions and facilitated discussion
• Credit analysis and lending case studies
• Borrower and financial statement assessment exercises
• Portfolio and problem loan scenarios
• A daily practical session building towards a final credit clinic

Organisations that invest in this training can expect:

• Sounder lending and credit decisions across the institution
• Lower credit losses and provisions
• Better managed and better diversified loan portfolios
• Earlier identification of problem loans
• Stronger recovery of distressed credit
• More consistent credit standards across branches and teams
• Reduced concentration and correlated credit risk
• Faster, more disciplined credit decision making
• A more capable, more confident credit function

Participants who enrol in this training will benefit from:

• Confidence to assess and structure credit soundly
• Stronger financial and borrower analysis skills
• A clearer grasp of credit risk across the full cycle
• The ability to spot trouble early, before it becomes a loss
• Sharper judgement in credit decisions and committee discussions
• A valued, marketable credit specialism
• Greater credibility in credit and risk discussions
• A practical toolkit of credit tools, ratios and checklists
• A stronger platform for progressing into senior credit or risk roles

At Strategic Revenue Africa, our certification goes beyond proof of attendance—it represents practical competence and measurable capability. Upon successful completion of our training programs, participants are awarded a Certificate of Completion from Strategic Revenue Africa, recognizing their ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-world settings. As an organization focused on architecting sustainable revenue and strengthening organizational performance, our certifications signal that participants are equipped with skills that drive results, not just theory.

A basic understanding of financial statements is helpful. The course suits those involved in lending, credit assessment or credit risk. A working command of English and comfort with basic numeracy are sufficient, and the Banking Operations and Bank Management course is a useful precursor for those new to banking.