Briefing Paper

The Impact of a Rural Microcredit Scheme on Women’s Household Vulnerability and Empowerment: Evidence from South West Nigeria

In this study, a team of local researchers investigates the impact of a microcredit scheme on the
vulnerability to poverty and the empowerment of women and their households in rural Nigeria. In
collaboration with the Amoye Microfinance Bank in Ikere, southwest Nigeria, the team uses administrative data from the bank and a follow-up survey to compare the beneficiaries and the non-beneficiaries of the microcredit scheme for women. Their analysis shows that the female beneficiaries were significantly more empowered than the non-beneficiaries, and that household vulnerability was also reduced. Based on these results, and the further analysis of the microcredit scheme design, the team outlines several recommendations to improve the success of future microcredit schemes