MFI Information:

MFI: LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited
Webpage: http://www.lapo-nigeria.org/
Mission: Promote economic empowerment of low-income Nigerians through creation of access to responsive financial services on a sustainable basis.

Decent Work Area:

Child Labour

Innovation:

Financial Services & Non-Financial Services: Soft loan and awareness campaign

• Educating clients on the disadvantages of sending their children to work
• Offering a financial product (a soft loan for school fees at 1%/month) to help parents to diffuse the lump sum school payment over a monthly repayment schedule

Results:

School attendance: marginal impact for clients exposed to awareness campaign only; and insignificant impact for clients benefiting from the campaign plus loan

No significant impact on child labour incidence, with even increased hours worked

Awareness on child labour: no significant impact with higher value placed on work than school (negative impact of innovation).

Relevant links:

• 1 Page poster with summary of MF4DW intervention and MFI profile
• LAPO (Lift Above Poverty Organization) Microfinance, Nigeria: Microfinance for Decent Work: School Fee Loans, Awareness and Child Labour: An impact evaluation.