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Women Entrepreneurship and Development: The Gendering of Microfinance in Nigeria
Presented at the 8th International Interdisciplinary
Congress on Women,
21-26 July, 2002, Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda.
By
Ngozi G. Iheduru (Mrs.)
Head, Department of Accountancy
Abia State University
Uturu, Nigeria
Introduction
This study is an attempt to investigate the ways in which
microfinance programmes, both governmental and non-governmental, have driven
financial sustainability and integrated community development among women in
Nigeria. In the process the study examined the extent to which programmes have
resulted in women's economic, social, and political empowerment. Women are
generally considered to be at the lowest rung of the poverty ladder in Nigeria,
the study extrapolated the effects of microfinance on the mitigation of
poverty. Finally, the study examined the policy implications of microcredit
financing of women economic activities within the broad framework of gender
stereotypical milieu of these enterprises. In order to accomplish accomplish
these goals, I explored the theoretical bases of microfinance analysis with the
overarching context of gender/feminist literature. This approach is important
because of the low economic status of women in Nigerian society. As I proceed
to argue here that there is a general likelihood that the microfinance approach
is targeted at women, I also explain the underlying rationale for this approach
from the Nigerian perspective. To realize this and test our propositions, I
selected three microfinance, one non- organization and two government assisted
microfinance organizations: Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN), the
Peoples Bank of Nigeria, and Family Economic Assistance Programme. The latter
two are both federally operated institutions of the government of Nigeria aimed
at providing credit to those who ordinarily would not get them and by so doing
raise their economic status and help to eliminate poverty. The propositions
that are made in this study are (1) there a direct relationship between
microcredit availability and economic development; (2) there is a direct
relationship between microcrdit and women empowerment in Nigeria; (3) the
availability of microcredit facilitates income generating activities among
people and contributes to their increased standard of living; (4) that there is
an association between microfinancial institutions and the development of
financial sustainability among Nigerian women; and (5) that microfinancial
institutions are directly associated with women leadership development in
Nigeria.
Nigeria's Electricity crisis
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 140 million people has less than 40% of her population connected to the electricity grid with no electricity supply for more than 60% of the time. Nigeria has no enough electricity generated to meet the demand of her people.
The current administration of President Umaru Musa Yar Adua has put Power and Energy has number one in his seven-point agenda for the development of the nation. He is also currently aiming for 6000 MW electricity generation by December, 2009, but the current generation is at about 3000 MW. Ongoing extensive repair and upgrading is being done on the Shiroro power plants in Niger state and supply of gas to Egbin thermal station is being resumed after disruptions caused by the Niger Delta militants attack on oil and gas infrastructure. The bulk of the electricity crisis has been the structural deficiencies of our power stations and distribution system. The grid is actually powered by hydropower and thermal (which makes use of fossil fuel) power. Within each of these sources, there are structural problems that subtract from the overall efficiency of the energy producing capacity of each type of power station. Also, technological deficiencies are prevalent throughout the power system, both in the generation and transmission. For example, with modern technology, about 40% of the energy consumed in thermal plants can be converted to electricity, but in the absence of this technology (as is currently the case in Nigeria) this figure can be as low as 12%. Of that power produced, there is further loss through transmission. One estimate claims that between 30 and 35% of power generated in Nigerian power stations are lost in transmission. By comparison, power losses across line in the United States usually come to less than 1%, even across greater distances. Illegal users' tapping of the power lines also contribute to inefficiencies in the power system as they remain unaccounted for and even regarded as power loss. Underinvestment in modern technology, lack of modern standardized components and qualified maintenance staff have made the power problem in Nigeria intractable.