SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CASHLESS POLICY ON ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES AMONG RURAL DWELLERS IN KEANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE-NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the socio-economic impact of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s cashless policy on access to healthcare services in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Cashless policy refers to a system with the ability to store money in an electronic purse or a card which is then used to purchase product at a vending machine or at any point of sales terminal located within a business premises. It is a policy meant to curb inflation by reducing the volume of physical cash in circulation occasioned by deployment of huge sums of money by people in the course of daily business transactions. The population of the study consisted of rural dwellers in need of healthcare services. The sample size of the study comprised of 398 respondents. Closed-ended questionnaire was used as the major instrument of data collection while data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as tables, frequencies and simple percentages. The analysis of data revealed that some of the challenges associated with cashless policy include failed electronic payment system, cash withdrawal limit, high POS charges, internet fraud as well as the poor and untimely implementation of the cashless policy which has impacted negatively on rural dwellers in the study area. Some of the challenges rural dwellers encountered as a result of poor and ill-timed implementation of the cashless policy include lack of access to healthcare services, high cost of hospital bills, high maternal mortality rates, and loss of lives amongst others. The study recommends that the implementation of cashless policy in Nigeria should be done with the provision of availability of good infrastructure such s steady electricity supply as well as effective and efficient internet services among others.