Access To Credit: A Study Of The Perception Of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs

Small and medium scale enterprises (SME) find it difficult to access financing for their businesses even though SME growth is central to the growth and development of any country. Financial institutions see SMEs as a high-risk group. Women businesses are increasingly an important part of the small business sector. Some studies have shown that women find it more difficult to access credit than men. This study investigated the problems Nigerian Business Women face as they try to grow their businesses especially their access to finance. We found in this exploratory study that access to credit is the most important problem women face in growing their businesses. They also perceive that men have better access to credit than women. Poorly packaged proposals was found to be the major obstacle to accessing credit. Implications of the findings are discussed. LBS Management Review Vol.8(1) 2003: 21-2