Dynamics of credit rationing among microfinance banks beneficiaries in Nigeria: to what extent are farmers' loans rationed along gender lines

The gender differentials in credit rationing by microfinance banks (MFBs) among cassava-based farmers in South-East Nigeria were deciphered in this study, while providing an in-depth understanding of the barriers prompting their credit outcomes. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 360 loan applicants, with the aid of a questionnaire using primary data, while descriptive statistics and the Multinomial logistic regression model were employed for the analysis. We observed that more male loan applicants were fully rejected their female counterparts, as indicated by a gap of 7.2%, while the female loan applicants had a higher percentage of their full loan demands met when compared to their male counterparts, as indicated by the widest gap of 20.5% along gender lines. The research suggests policy actions that will enable authorities to develop a framework that adopts gender-specific initiatives that mitigate lending inequities, highlighting the relevance of financial literacy, equitable financial services, and better banking relationships with farmers.