Paper short abstract:

This study focuses on the linkage between financial inclusion and climate change adaptation in Nigeria. Given the poor financial inclusion of women in the country, they find it difficult to recover from loss and damage and adapt the effects of climate change.

Paper long abstract:

Employed largely in the informal sector, women, the largest participants in indigenous economies are arguably shut out of financial systems across Nigeria. The situation resonates in the context of climate change which affects women disproportionately in comparison to their male counterparts. The dynamics of climate change adaptation on the continent are dominantly patriarchal, stifling the ability of women to live with new realities wrought by the menace. This paper argues that the absence of financial inclusion for women typifies climate change response. In the instances of environmental hazards that have become more regular across the continent, women lack funds to put their livelihoods back on track. Their high unbanked status means that they cannot draw credit to restart their businesses most of which are fledgling before climate disasters. This study dwells on the theory of feminist political ecology, qualitatively analyzing data drawn from existing works, government publications, CSO/NGO bulletins, etc.