IMPACT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF NIGERIA’S FINANCIAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME ON WOMEN AND YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT IN ABIA STATE

Abstract

The study examined the impact of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) financial enhancement programmes on women and youths empowerment in Abia State. A descriptive survey and documentary research design were adopted for the study. The target population consisted of women and youths in Abia State who had participated in SMEDAN's financial enhancement programmes. A sample size of 400 respondents was selected using the Taro Yamane sample size determination technique, from a total population of 2,000 participants in these programmes. A simple random sampling technique was employed to ensure that the sample was representative of the population. Both primary and secondary data collection methods were utilized. Primary data was gathered through a structured questionnaire, while secondary data were sourced from official organizational documents and publications from SMEDAN. Descriptive statistics were used to present the quantitative data. Inferential statistics, specifically regression analysis, were employed to test the hypotheses of the study. The findings of the study showed that both SMEDAN's Financial Assistance Programme and soft Loan Programme had a significant positive impact on the empowerment of women and youths in Abia State. Hypothesis one revealed a coefficient of 0.450 with a p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating that the financial assistance programme significantly empowered women and youths. Hypothesis two showed a coefficient of 0.390 with a p-value of 0.002 (p < 0.05), confirming the positive impact of the loan skills programme on their empowerment. The study concluded that both SMEDAN's Financial Assistance and Loan Skills Programmes play crucial roles in enhancing the empowerment of women and youths in Abia State. Recommendations for future research and policy include: enhancing the accessibility of SMEDAN’s financial programmes, integrating more comprehensive financial literacy and entrepreneurial training, expanding the geographical scope of SMEDAN’s programmes, increasing the amount of financial assistance available to women and youths.