A new report by the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies has found that about four in every 10 women in northern Nigeria are financially excluded.
The report, titled “Understanding influence and behaviour in northern Nigeria,” was unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the findings, 38 per cent of women in the region lack access to financial services.
The report further found that 52 per cent of women in northern Nigeria are financially served, with 45 per cent accessing formal financial services through deposit money banks, merchant banks, non-interest banks, and microfinance institutions.
An additional seven per cent utilise other formal non-bank financial products, including insurance services, it added.
However, the report noted that a significant proportion of women still lack access to both formal and informal financial systems.
The study recommended targeted interventions by state governments and the private sector, including training and mentorship programmes to prepare women and girls for leadership roles.
It also called for workplace inclusion policies such as flexible working hours for mothers, as well as policies to support women’s economic empowerment through skills acquisition, improved access to credit, and support for women-owned businesses.
