FINANCIAL INCLUSION: NIGERIA'S MICROFINANCE MODEL EFFECT ASSESSMENT ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

This study ascertains the significant effectiveness of Nigeria’s microfinance model of financial inclusion on women empowerment. Following reforms in the financial system geared towards enhancing women financial inclusion and digitalization of financial products and services, its effect on women empowerment becomes imperative. Specifically, we evaluate the effect of available microfinance banks’ products in rural communities via rent savings, child education, new born and daily savings account on women empowerment. A descriptive survey design was utilized to realize our objective. Two hundred (200) questionnaires were distributed to respondents, out of which one hundred and ninety (190) were fully completed and used for the analysis. After checking for internal reliability of the responses through the Alpha Cronbach’s test, we proceeded to applying Pearson correlation and regression estimations. From the regression estimation, we identify a positive and significant relationship between women empowerment and microfinance banks’ products: rent savings, child education, new born and daily savings account. Thus, microfinance model is a policy in the right direction that will result in more financial inclusion of the women population especially, in rural communities. Subsequently, we recommend the creation of more women tailored products by microfinance banks. This will avail them the opportunity to choose from variety of products and services that specifically suit their needs. Furthermore, collateral for women to access finance from these microfinance banks should be community/socially based rather than individually based.