The Impact of Microfinance on Welfare and Poverty Alleviation in Southwest Nigeria

The study presented empirical findings on the impact of Microfinance on welfare and poverty alleviation in Southwest Nigeria. It also examined Microfinance as key to poverty alleviation and economic development. It assessed the extent to which Microfinance Institutions had successfully helped the poor to improve their standard of living and social status. The study employed multiple regression analysis of the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) technique of estimation in order to make tentative predictions concerning outcome variable. The Linear Probability Model was also adopted in the study. This study establishes that Microfinance Programme have impacted the businesses and lives of the beneficiaries (Microfinance Clients) in several positive ways particularly in their economic circumstances.

It also gave them access to essential life-enhancing facilities and services. It suggested that Microfinance Institutions in Nigeria should seek long-term capital from the Pensions and Insurance companies so that they can grant larger volumes of loans to greater number of their clients. They should also strive to put in place procedures, policies and products that would ensure gender responsiveness and equity. In order to enhance healthy competition among the Microfinance Institutions, there should be a mandatory policy for the Microfinance Institutions to publish their interest rates and other charges at frequent intervals. This would improve the levels of efficiency of the Microfinance Institutions.