The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between customer relationship management and performance of microfinance banks in Akwa Ibom State. The Independence sub-variables studied were customer satisfaction, computer application of computer technology social bonding, customer retention, financial bonding and customer attraction where the dependent variable was performance of microfinance banks. It was conducted in Akwa Ibom State with a population of 145 staffs and 3365 customers. The total sample size of 463 staff and customers from the 12 microfinance banks was used for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the sample size. Researchers developed instrument that old customer relationship management and performance of microfinance banks questionnaire was used for data collection from the respondents. The instrument was Julie validated and subjected to reliability analysis before being used for the study. The instruments where properly administered and the data obtained were analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation as 0.05 alpha level. The findings of the study are summarised as; customer satisfaction significantly relate the performance of microfinance banks in Akwa Ibom State; there is a significant relationship between application of computer technology and performance of microfinance banks in Akwa Ibom State; social bonding relate significantly to performance of microfinance Banks in Akwa Ibom State; there is a significant relationship between financial bonding and performance of microfinance Banks; customers attraction relate significantly the performance of microfinance Banks in Akwa Ibom State. Thus, it was concluded that customer relationship management contribute to performance of microfinance bank in Akwa Ibom State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that microfinance institutions should adopt and implement customer satisfaction practices low interest rates on loan good interest rates on investment and loans without collateral in order to enhance and maintain their performance. This is because today’s customers are more sophisticated and more demanding than ever; thus, reacting urgently to customers demand is necessary for success of microfinance institutions.

Acha I. A. (2012).Microfinance banking in Nigeria problems and prospects. International journal of finance and accounting, 1 (2), 34-42.

Beckett-Camarata, E. J., Camarat, M. R., Barker, R. T., (1998). Integrating internal and external customer relationship to relationship management: a strategic response to a changing global environment. Journal of business research 41, 74 - 81.

Boone, L. E. and Kurtz, D. L. (2004).Contemporary Marketing (11Ed).U.S.A., Thompson Learning Publishers.

Coltman, T., Devinney, T. M., Latukefy, A. and Midgley, D. F. (2010).e-business definition evolution or hope California management review 144 (1), 57-58

Couldwell, C. (2008). A Data Day Battle. Computing 21, 64-66.

Eboh. E. F., (2008). Changing Development Paradigms via Microfinance Banks.African journal of Entrepreneurship, 1 (1), 52-63.

Gatuhu, R. N. (2013). The Effects or Credit Management on the Financial Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Kenya. Unpublished M. Sc Dissertation, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Ghodeswar, B. M.(2010). Winning market through effective customer relationship management. California: Printice Hall.

Hamel, G. (2009). Bringing Silicon Valley Inside.Havard Business Review, 83, 44-56.

Ibok, N. I., Etuk, S. G. and Ikechukwu, A. A. (2012). Customer Retention Practices of Microfinance Banks. European Journal of  Business and Management, 4(14),20-21.

Inseng, D. H. &Uford, I. C. (2019). Examining the contributions of customer-based and   employee-based brand equity to a retail bank's market performance. The Retail and      Marketing Review (RMR), 15(1), 27-38.

Iorchi, D. (2006). Reducing Poverty in Benue State of Nigeria: The Role Of Microfinance and Micro-Enterprises. Journal of Business Management, 1(2), 15-29.

Jackson, B. (2015). Winning and Keeping Industrial Customers: The Dynamics of Customer Relationships, Lexington, MA:D. C. Health and Company.

Karakosta, B. Kardaras, D. and Papathanassian, E. (2005). The State of Crm Adoption by the Financial Services in the UK: n An Emoirical Investigation, Information and management, 42(^0 853-863.

Liljander, V. and Strandk, T. (2005).The Nature of Customer Relationship In service. Swart, David, Bowen and Brown (Eds), Advances in Services marketing management. London: JAI Press Inc.

Marx, W. (2004).A Relationship Marketing Primer. Management review , 83, 16-25.

Mihelis, G., Grigoroudis, E. Sioskos, Y., and malandrakis, Y. (2001), Customer satisfaction Measurement in the Private Bank sector. European Journal of Operational Research, 347-360.

Nagi, E. (2005). Customer Relationship Marketing Research. MarkIntell Planning, 23 960, 582-605.

Namjoyan, M., Esfahni, A. N. and Haery, F. A. (2013(). Studying the Effects of Customer Relationship Management on the Marketing Performance (isfahansaderat Bank as a case study) International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3 (9) 302-314.

Nevin, J.R. (2015). Relationship Marketing and Distribution Channels: Exploring Fundamental Issues Sciences, . Journal of the Academic Marketing 327-334.

Onut, S., Erdem, I. and Hosver, B. (2002). Customer relationship management in banking sector and a model design for banking performance. Journal of business and management, 8, (6), 45-54.

Peppers, D and Rogers, M.The one to one future building relationship one customer at a time. New York, NY: Doubleday

Raphel, M. (2005). The Art  of Direct Marketing  Upgrading Prospects to Advocates. Direct Marketing, 58, 34-37.

Richards, A. 2005 CU Pioneers Loyalty Card for Customers. Direct Marketing, 14,23-31.

Saka, R. O., Elegunde, A. F. and Lawal,   A. Y. (2004).  Effects of Customer Relationship Marketing on Bank Performance in Nigeria: An Empirical Approach. European Journal of Business and Management, 6, 17-28.

Sani, D. and Chalasani, S. (2012). Exploiting Niches Relationship Marketing. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 9 (3), 33-42.

Sheth, J. N. and Parvatiyar A. (2005a). Relationship marketing in consumer markets: Antecedents and consequences. Journal of the academy of the  academy  of marketing science, 255-271.

Sheth, J. N. and  Parvatyar, A. (2005b). The Evolution of relationship marketing. International business review,  5 (4), 397-418.

Sheth, J. N., Parvatiyar A.  and  Shainessh, G. (2010). Customer relationship management Emerging concepts, tools and Applications. New delhi: tata  McGraw hill education private limited.

Sheth, J.N. (2004).  A Normative Model of Retaining Customer Satisfaction. Gamma News Journal, 4-7.

Simonet, R., Kamdem, E. and Nguefack,  L. (2012). Impact of the customer relationship management on the performance of the institutions of Microfinance in Cameroon; The case of the performance of  thecamccul network. International journal of management and information technology, 1 (3), 37-5.

Todd, J. A., Eric, F. and Robert, W. P.(2011). The Effects of customer acquisition and Retention Orientation on a firm’s Radical and Incremental Innovation Performance. Journal of Academics, Marketing and Sciences, 39:234-251.

Trout, J. and Rivkin, S. (2000). Differentiate or Die. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

Uford, I. C. (2017).Customer and employee- based brand equity driving United Bank for Africa’s market performance. Ph.D. Thesis, University of the Witwatersrand,   Johannesburg, South Africa, 1-227.

Vetrivel, T. (2011).Customer Relationship Management. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House

Yuan, S.T. and Chang, W.L. (2001). Mixed-Iniative Synthesized Learning Approach for Web-Based CRM, Expert Systems with Applications 20, 187-200.