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The Determinants Of Financial Sustainability Of Microfinance Institutions

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CHAPTER FOUR: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
4.0 INTRODUCTION
This chapter starts by explaining the meaning of key concepts, followed by the main theories used in this study to explain the determinants of financial sustainability of microfinance institutions in Nigeria. A theoretical framework is then developed based on the accounting theory and theoretical background presented as reviewed from available literature in microfinance.

4.1 CONCEPT OF MICROFINANCE
Microfinance is the provision of small scale financial services to low income or unbanked people. It is about provision of “a broad range of financial services such as deposits, loans, payments services, money transfers and insurance, to the poor and low-income households and their farm or non-farm micro-enterprises” (Mwenda and Muuka, 2004:145) . This agrees with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which defines microfinance as the provision of a broad range of financial services such as deposits, loans, payment services, money transfers, and insurance to poor and low-income households and their micro-enterprises . From the above definitions, microfinance is more than just provision of small loans also known as microcredit. It is about provision of various small scale financial services. Thus for this study, consistent with the above definitions, we use the term microfinance to mean the provision of small scale loans, savings, deposits, and other financial services to the poor. Institutions that provide these small (micro)

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