Financial Inclusion as A Tool for Survival of Small and Medium Family Enterprises: Lessons for Nigerian Microfinance Banks

The study evaluates the scope SMFEs have access to funding and examines the challenges against SMFEs accessing finance in Nigeria. Data were collected from 380 participants through a structured questionnaire designed for the study. Simple percentage, mean, standard deviation and factor analysis were employed to analyze the data.  The results revealed that many of SMFEs leverage on the informal sector as a vector of inclusion.  Furthermore, lack of collateral, interest rate and short payback period were found to be the most factors preventing SMFEs from accessing credit from Nigerian Microfinance banks. Therefore, authorities should act quickly to accelerate progress towards financial inclusion by distributing digital services as simple, flexible and simple alternative channels to reach our areas and rural hinterland. Additionally, financial institutions like microfinance banks must assimilate the objective of inclusion in their overall business plan and accept a holistic strategy to reach the financially invisible

Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion as Tools to Enhance Small Scale Businesses’ Performance in Southwest, Nigeria

Purpose: The study sought to examine the impact of financial literacy and financial inclusion on small businesses’ overall performance with special reference to Southwest Nigeria. Methods: Descriptive survey research sketch was adopted for this study, while the purposive sampling method was employed to choose forty small scale businesses registered with SMEDAN from each state capital of South Western of Nigeria that engaged in petty trading, bakeries, block-making, soup-making, tailoring, and agro-allied, totaling 240 participants as a sample size for the study. Data were collected by using a closed-ended questionnaire designed for the study, while simple percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) was used to analyze the data. Results: The findings disclose that financial literacy and financial inclusion jointly and independently affect small businesses’ performance. It revealed a positive and significant relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion. However, the study depicts that majority of business operators did not have financial knowledge such as working capital management, accounting records system, financial reporting, cashbook maintenance, income statement, daily cash reconciliation, internal control on cash, and cash budget. Also, the study confirmed that the majority of small business entrepreneurs are financially excluded from micro-financing, emergency loans, employ purchase financing, business bank loans, and micro-insurance plan Services. Implications: The implication of this study is that if the Central Bank of Nigeria partnership with other professional organizations to promote financial literacy and inclusion programs to all business entrepreneurs across the nation, it will motivate more business entrepreneurs in Nigeria to have access to finance. &nbsp

Biological control of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar): an RNAi-based approach and a case for DNA insecticides

The discovery of the post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanism, widely known as RNAi (RNA interference),has contributed towards the elucidation of the cellular machinery involved in the response against viral infections based on gene silencing, and in developmental regulation of translational suppression. The application of RNAi in insect pest management (IPM),and gene functional analysis, has been of enormous importance. Unfortunately, as RNAi has many times proven to be difficult to examine in Lepidoptera, focus has shifted to other potential post-genomic options in IPM. Special attention has afforded to novel DNA insecticides based on preparations of short single-stranded fragments of baculovirus anti-apoptosis genes, which represent a safe and relatively rapid alternative approach for IPM. This paper focuses on the draw backs and advantages of DNA insecticides used in gypsy moth control and based on RNAi