Access to banking services in Sub-Saharan Africia : essays in development economics

Abstract

Access to formal financial services has the potential to help transform the lives of low income individuals in Sub-Saharan African. Access and usage of saving, transaction and credit services can play a central role in efforts to smooth consumption, invest in human or productive capital, and reduce exposure to uncertainties. A recent estimate suggests that up to 2.5 million people globally are excluded from formal financial services and this thesis estimates that approximately 80 percent (300 million people) of the population of eleven countries surveyed in Sub-Saharan Africa are financially excluded.