Adult Education and Financial Inclusion Among Market Women in Abia State

This study examines the relationship between adult education participation and financial inclusion among market women in Abia State, South East Nigeria. Market women represent a large and economically active but financially underserved population in Nigeria's informal economy. Limited numeracy and financial literacy skills restrict their ability to access formal banking services, manage business finances, and participate in formal savings and credit systems. This study uses a survey design, collecting data from 220 market women in Aba Main Market, Aba North, and Umuahia central market who have varying levels of adult education exposure. Financial inclusion measures include bank account ownership, mobile money usage, participation in cooperative savings, and access to formal credit. Regression and descriptive statistics are applied. Findings reveal that market women who participated in adult education programmes with financial literacy components are significantly more likely to own bank accounts, use mobile money, and participate in formal savings cooperatives compared to those without such exposure. Numeracy skill level is the strongest individual predictor of financial inclusion among the sampled women. Women who completed at least one year of adult education demonstrate a 35 percent higher rate of formal bank account ownership. The study concludes that adult education with financial literacy integration meaningfully improves financial inclusion outcomes for market women in Abia State. It recommends that the Abia State Agency for Mass Education embed financial literacy modules in all adult education programmes targeting market traders.

Keywords: financial inclusion, adult education, market women, Abia State, financial literacy.