While the role of commercial banks in financing economic growth and reducing poverty and income inequality is well documented in cross-country setup, the regional variations of the banking services within a country and its association with poverty reduction is understudied. Understanding of the...

The financial sector in rural areas, where most of the poor people in sub-Saharan Africa are found, has transformed massively in recent times, notably through the increased penetration of several types of rural financial intermediaries in addition to rural and community banks and microfinance...

Poverty reduction has become a top goal in the socio-economic development strategies of countries and a topic of interest for researchers. A number of prior empirical studies have identified the importance of financial inclusion to poverty reduction. However, most of these studies assess the...