Determinants of Preferences of the Respondents for the Payment for Environmental Services among the Rural Farming Households in Oyo State Nigeria

This study attempted to uncover the factors that influence preferences of the poor farming households for the attributes of Payment for environmental services (PES) in the Oyo State farm settlement Nigeria. Educational attainment, age of the respondents, previous knowledge of PES, land tenure, provision of micro credit, number of dependents, marital status and main occupation of the respondents. Dependent variable is preference for PES attributes.A multi-stage sampling technique was employed for this study.This study used exclusively Primary data.Which were collected through the use of a well-structured questionnaires and interview schedule for the literate and non-literate farmers respectivelyTotal sample of 395 out of 547respondents (i.e.72%) were drawn cumulatively. The regression results showed that previous knowledge of PES and provision of microcredit are significant at 5% each, while land ownership right is significant at 10% in the educational poverty group. In the consumption poverty group, previous knowledge of PES is significant at 5%, while land ownership right is positively significant at 1%, respectively. Housing/living standard poverty group; previous knowledge of PES and land ownership rights are significant at 5% each. From the findings of this study, it implies that if micro credit facilities are provided to these poor farming households, they will be willing to conserve the environmental resources (i.e. agricultural land). It therefore suggests that a well thought institutional arrangement with PES in view could be put up to enhance natural resource conservation and by extension reduction of poverty.

Efficiency and Effectiveness Evaluation of Micro-credit Programme in Transforming Rural Women Entrepreneurs: Experiences from Balasore District of Odisha

The micro-credit programme was introduced with multi-dimensional objectives and therefore was always under direct purview of various government agencies. Microfinance in Odisha works under umbrella of Mission Shakti and TRIPTI (a world bank initiated project). Balasore district is selected on the basis of MFPI index taking into consideration the saving, credit linkage and credit-deposit ratio indicators. The analysis had shown positive impact of programme on various economic, social and decision making dimensions. The linked financial institutions have undertaken SHGs as their major customers and therefore positive impact on loan disbursement and recovery rate is observed.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH MICRO CREDIT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

The World Bank's Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Project supports the self helf groups of the women members. It promotes women's social, economic, legal and political empowerment to reduce poverty among the poor and the poorest of the poor. The important object of this article is to examine the impact of micronance on the socio economic empowerment of the rural women supported by the national reputed NGO- Rashtriya Seva Samithi (RASS). 184 women members of the SHGs promoted by Rasthriya Seva Samathi (RASS) an NGO which located in Tirupati town. 184 samples are selected randomly from 15 SHGs scattered throughout the Tirupati rural mandal (Taluk) from the area of the study have been considered to conduct the present research study. The study reveals that 87.71 percent of the sample women were below the poverty line before joining the SHGs. As a result of SHG, about 40 percent of the sample women crossed the poverty line. The highest intensive value indicates that more women have participated in social agitations for the welfare of the children and the society. The second highest intensity reveals that considerable numbers of women of SHGs have participated in the government sponsored schemes. The 1st point secured 3rd rank with total intensity value of 605 which status that the micro credit has resulted in increased social status and empowerment.

Does Micro-Credit Lending to Small Scale Enterprises Stimulate Economic Advancement in Nigeria? Evidence from ARDL Analysis

The microfinance institutions are evident tools for Small Scale Enterprises development due to the roles they perform in the economic advancement. Past studies have shown microfinance serves as a key player in the financial sector that has positively impacted in all works of life through the services it offers. This study is positioned to explore the case of Nigeria by examining the impact of micro-credit lending to Small Scale Enterprises on economic advancement in Nigeria over the period 1992–2019, using the autoregressive distributed lag approach to cointegration analysis. Controlling for the possible effects of crude oil price and trade openness on economic advancement in Nigeria, this study found the relationship between micro-credit lending to Small Scale Enterprises and economic advancement is negative and significant in the long‐run and positive but insignificant in the short‐run, thus, suggesting the weakness of financial intermediary sector in resource mobilization and allocation in Nigeria. The result, in general, illustrates the vulnerability of the financial sector in stimulating economic advancement by providing micro-credit for small businesses and the unbanked. Hence, this study suggests a well‐articulated policy framework that will facilitate access to financial services.

Banco palmas e o microcrédito: um exemplo de sucesso

RESUMO Este trabalho propõe-se a apresentar o microcrédito como instrumento de desenvolvimento econômico e social na perspectiva de economia solidária. O Banco Palmas é um exemplo de um sistema financeiro solidário criado, em 1988, pela Associação dos Moradores do Conjunto Palmeira. O objetivo do banco é proporcionar o desenvolvimento local e solidário do Conjunto Palmeira, através do microcrédito e programas complementares como a escola de capacitação, incubadora para mulheres em situação de risco, laboratório de agricultura urbana, moeda própria que circula nos comércios do bairro, sistemas de feiras com os produtores locais e uma loja solidária. A metodologia adotada foi um estudo de caso do Banco Palmas através de uma pesquisa documental e pesquisa bibliográfica. Dessa forma, o Banco Palmas mostra que é possível a realização de projetos de desenvolvimento popular e solidário auto-sustentáveis, por meio do microcrédito, que estimula o consumo e a produção dentro do próprio bairro, em uma perspectiva de desenvolvimento local. ABSTRACT This paper proposes to present microcredit as an instrument of economic and social development from the perspective of solidarity economy. Banco Palmas is an example of a financial solidarity system created in 1988 by the Residents Association of Conjunto Palmeira. The objective of the bank is to provide local development and solidarity in Conjunto Palmeira through micro-credit and complementary programs such as a training school, an incubator for women at risk, an urban agriculture laboratory, its own currency that circulates in the neighborhood stores, fair systems with local producers and a solidarity store. The methodology adopted was a case study of Banco Palmas through a documentary and bibliographical research. In this way, Banco Palmas shows that it is possible to carry out self-sustainable popular and solidary development projects, through microcredit, which stimulates consumption and production within the neighborhood itself, in a perspective of local development.

Community Mobilization in Micro Credit as a Tool of Women Empowerment

This article is about community mobilization in microcredit as a tool of women empowerment. It argues that women empowerment is a process and community mobilization is a tool for women empowerment process through micro-credit programs. This article is based on the views of selected key informants’ information through participant observation and a case study at Mahadevsthan Village in Dhading. Three local NGO managers and their three beneficiaries were conveniently selected for the sampling purpose. The main argument of the article shows that most of the females who received microcredit finally got socio-economic empowerment through acquiring access to capital, control over resources, self-esteem, confidence, decision-making power.