Assessing the Effects of Agency Banking and POS Terminals on the Growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in South-East Nigeria’s Commercial Hubs

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to assess the impact of agency banking and POS terminals on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) growth in Southeast Nigeria. In the explanatory research design, we adopted both descriptive and inferential statistics to answer the research questions. Primary data was generated from a sample of 400 MSMEs operator selected from the states in the region using multiple sampling techniques. Results from the estimation of multiple regression to test the hypotheses and determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables shows that both agency banking and POS usage significantly enhance MSME growth in the region. The study therefore recommends enlargement of digital financial services, improving financial literacy and developing infrastructure that foster fintech and economic development.