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Innovation in microfinance is given as any change in banking technology which resulted in improved viability and/or outreach of the microfinance institution. This paper examined the influence of innovative savings products in the Nigerian banking industry on welfare and business enterprise development of low-income earners and self-employed individuals in Nigeria. The paper employs primary data from a structured questionnaire and uses ordinary least squares to test study hypotheses. The results obtained show that the savings rate has increased by 160% since the introduction of the innovative savings account. The study therefore recommends more awareness programs on innovative savings products. Résumé L'innovation dans le secteur de la microfinance est caractérisée par des changements dans la technologie bancaire, qui ont permis une amélioration de la viabilité et/ou du rayonnement de l'institution de microfinance. Ce document examine l'influence des produits d'épargne novateurs dans l'industrie bancaire nigériane sur le welfare et le et développement des affaires des salariés à faibles revenus et des travailleurs autonomes au Nigéria. Le document utilise des données primaires à partir d'un questionnaire structuré et la méthode des moindres carrés ordinaires pour tester des hypothèses de l'étude. Les résultats obtenus montrent que le taux d'épargne a augmenté de 160% depuis l'introduction du nouveau compte d'épargne. L'étude recommande donc davantage de programmes de sensibilisation pour ce type de produits d'épargne.

In order to alleviate poverty and improve the living standard of the people of South-West Nigeria, it is imperative that micro/small financial services such as credit, insurance, money transfer, etc. are provided in order to engage them actively in productive activities. Globally, there are several failed policies by governments, particularly in Nigeria over the years aimed at poverty alleviation. This study examines microfinance scheme towards the dispersion of credit amongst the working poor; draws from the data collected from field survey and these were reported using tables, frequency counts and cross-tabulations to draw inferences and a loan demand model was specified and estimated using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) econometric technique.The study used cross-sectional data collected from selected respondents in selected areas of both the Lagos and Ogun States of Nigeria respectively. The study found that majority of the Microfinance banks in Nigeria are model after the Grameen Bank which is aimed at the poor and people with basic, little or no education and that loan demand is interest rate insensitive. Therefore, MFIs should design appropriate products that are flexible enough to meet the different needs of the poor for both production and consumption purposes. Besides, governments (local, state and Federal) should urgently tackle the infrastructural gaps such as electricity, water and efficient transportation system which impact greatly on the standard of living of the people.

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Purpose The successful story of microfinance institutions is often tied to the practice and methods of credit delivery as evidence among international world class microfinance institutions across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of practice and methods of credit delivery employed by “non- profit” and “for-profit” microfinance institutions on financial sustainability and outreach programmes of the microfinance institutions in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the survey research design and multi-stage stratified random sampling procedure to collect data from 372 senior management staff, managing directors and board members of microfinance institutions of both groups in Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions analysis. Findings The findings suggest that the current practice and methods of credit delivery of microfinance in both “non-profit” and “for-profit” microfinance institutions have an inverse relationship with the financial sustainability and outreach programmes of the institutions. This study provides empirical evidence for the incessant failure of microfinance institutions in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications The study therefore recommends an immediate overhaul of the methodology and practice of microfinance institutions in the country to align with international best practice. Originality/value In spite of the huge literature on microfinance in Nigeria, there is not enough evidence to empirically prove that the practice of microfinance has affected the performance of the industry in Nigeria. This study sets out to fill that gap in the literature. The paper examines the practice of microfinancing in Nigeria vis-à-vis the performance of the microfinance institutions, categorized into NGO and microfinance bank “for-profit” institutions using international best practices from countries where microfinance is highly successful as a benchmark for deployment of microfinance in Nigeria, in order to proffer policy direction to stakeholders on steps to take to ensure viability in the microfinance subsector in Nigeria.

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