IMPACT OF MICROCREDIT ON POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13207279Keywords:
Micro Credit, Poverty Reduction, Unemployment Rate, Interest Rate, Micro FinanceAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between microcredit and poverty reduction in Nigeria using regression analysis with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) on time-series data from 2003 to 2022. The findings reveal a significant and persistent association between the poverty index and microfinance loans, unemployment, and interest rates. Unemployment and microfinance loans adversely impacted poverty alleviation, while interest rates had a similar negative effect, leading to rejecting the null hypothesis. The analysis indicates that microcredit and interest rates significantly reduce poverty and enhance living standards in Nigeria. Consequently, the study recommends that microfinance institutions should strengthen and expand their outreach to the most impoverished segments of the population to effectively contribute to poverty alleviation efforts.