Study reveals 38% of Northern Nigerian women lack financial services access

A new study by the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, Bayero University Kano, supported by the Gates Foundation, indicates that 38% of women in Northern Nigeria do not have access to financial services. The report, titled “Understanding Influence and Behaviour in Northern Nigeria,” was unveiled in Abuja. While 52% of women are financially served, only 45% access formal financial services through institutions like deposit money banks, merchant banks, interest-free banks, and microfinance institutions. An additional 7% use other formal non-bank financial products, including insurance services. Professor Yusuf Garba, Director of Academic Planning at Bayero University, stated that the research, which began in 2024 and was conducted over 18 months, aimed to understand why the region lags in financial access. The study explored how social norms, authority structures, trust hierarchies, gender norms, and religious considerations influence decisions related to finance, health, and education. Principal Investigator Professor Ismael Zango noted that the findings align with National Bureau of Statistics data, highlighting unemployment at about 37% and poverty levels averaging 80% across Northern Nigeria, with Sokoto State recording over 80%. Zango emphasized that sustainable development requires equipping women and youth with market-driven skills, citing successful women-led initiatives in Kebbi and Kano States as models for scaling up. Mrs. Foyinsolami Akinjayeju, Chief Executiv