Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The study was carried out to find out the effect of credit risk and portfolio loan management on profitability of microfinance Banks (MFBs) in Lagos, Nigeria. To achieve the objective of the study, an econometric model was developed. A sample size of 14 microfinance banks was randomly selected, comprising four national, five state and five unit microfinance banks respectively. Five year annual financial statements of these 14 selected microfinance banks were obtained for this analysis using panel data that produce 70 observations for the period 2006 to 2010 The result reveals that the current value of all independent variables follow an expected relationship with the profitability of microfinance banks. That is, the net interest margin, asset mix proxied by ratio of loan to total asset, and ratio of equity to total assets have a positive relationship with the profitability of microfinance banks (MFBs) in Lagos state, Nigeria. Asset quality (ratio of non-performing loan to total loan) and the interest earnings to total assets ratio have a negative relationship with profitability of microfinance banks. However, the result reveals that of the five immediate past value of these independent variables, only net interest margin and interest earnings to total assets ratio maintained expected relationship with the performance (profitability) of microfinance banks. From the hypothesis test, it was found that credit risk management has a significant effect on the profitability of microfinance banks in Lagos state, Nigeria The study is set against the background and realisation that many MFBs in Lagos seem to continue to seek growth and profit without much attention to addressing credit risk issues – a necessity for their survival on a sustainable basis. The results indicated that the credit evaluation process was positively and significantly related to the quality of the loan portfolio in MFBs. The study also found out that internal rather than external to the MFB’s are more likely to provide the main explanation for MFBs’ profitability. To enhance their profitability, loan products which seem to have various defects which make loans even more risky need to be reviewed. The defects include: long loan processing procedures, absence of training to clients on proper utilisation of loans, lack of mechanisms to assess the suitability and viability of the business proposal for which loans were applied, inappropriate mechanism for assessing character for loan applicants, absence of moratorium periods between taking of a loan and repayment of a first instalment as clients were requested to repay their first instalment within the first month. The study recommended that MFBs should have a broad outlook in its credit risk and portfolio management strategy and this calls for radical reforms within the MFB’s operations and policies as well as more aggressive approaches most especially before availing credit and in its loan recovery as it had a direct impact on profitability.