Financial Inclusion Policies and Performance of Nigerian Listed Deposit Money Banks

Abstract

The development of modern technology for financial transactions poses exciting enquiries to both the finance sector operators and policy formulators with regard to appropriateness of previous institutional measures and availability of devices that will guarantee efficiency, effectiveness and financial stability of fiscal policies. This study evaluates the impact of financial inclusion strategies on the performance of Nigeria’s banking industry. To get the intended outcome, this study employs an ex-post facto research strategy to investigate the relationship between financial inclusion and the economic performance of the Nigerian banking industry. The data utilised in this study is sourced from various secondary sources from 2009 to 2019. The study included descriptive statistics and the Ordinary Least Square method of Regression analysis. The findings of the study suggest that the adoption of Point of Sale (PoS) terminals significantly influences the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the banking industry in Nigeria. Additionally, it revealed that financial transactions conducted through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have a substantial impact on the Return on Equity (ROE) of the banking industry in Nigeria. On the other hand, it was determined that Mobile Money Transfer did not demonstrate a significant impact on the performance of the Nigerian banking sector. The report so suggests, among other recommendations, that the Central Bank of Nigeria should conduct a downward revision of electronic payment transaction rates in order to foster greater financial inclusion.