Nigerian payment systems are cash based although the use of electronic payment system such as online banking services, automated teller machine services and the mobile banking services started gradually in 2011 with the introduction of cashless policy, which became operational in 2023. This study examined the impact of the cashless policy of the government on the performance of small-scale enterprises in Southeast – Nigeria. It explored the availability of required e-payment facilities, the effectiveness of e-payment administration, and the impact of cashless policy on the performance of SMEs in the region. Descriptive survey design and researcher’s designed questionnaire were adopted to generate data from 500 respondents that were randomly chosen from five states in southeast Nigeria, while statistics of percentages, and SPSS tools were used to analysis the data. Results of the analysis reveal inadequate supply of e-payment facilities and lack of IT skills for managing epayment transactions among majority of the respondents. In addition, it revealed the ineffectiveness of e-payment system in the management of SMEs with significant negative impact on the performances of SMEs in southeast Nigeria. Among others, the paper recommends awareness creation and sensitization about the cashless economy, and adequate provision or the modernisation of e-payment facilities to ensure the effectiveness of the policy.
Emeka Ogechi Chinedu (Wed,) studied this question.