Browsing by Author "Onwuka, I. O."

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Asset structure and Profitability Nexus – Evidence from Commercial Banks in Nigeria
(Society for Science and Education (SSE), 2019) Onwuka, I. O.; Nwadibu, A.
This paper investigated the Impact of Capital Structure on Profitability of Commercial Banks in Nigeria, between 2005 and 2014. The study carried out Static Analysis of the Nexus between Capital Structure and Profitability of Commercial Banks in Nigeria, with focus on 10 selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. The techniques of Pooled OLS Estimation, Fixed Effect Estimation (FEE) and Random Effect Estimation (REE) were employed in an attempt to arrive at the most consistent and efficient static estimation of the Panel Mode. The proxies of Debt Finance (DF), Equity Finance (EF) and Debt Equity Ratio (DER) for Capital Structure while Profit after Tax (PAT) is used as a measure of Bank Profitability. The result of the study showed that Debt Finance exert positive but insignificant influence on Commercial Bank’s Profitability, while the ratio of Debt-Equity influence on Commercial Banks’ Profitability was found to be negative for the period investigated. The study therefore recommend that Commercial Banks should be more levered as this significantly influence the level of Profitability, however they should adopt the right finance mix that is not extremely lopsided to obtain the right balance between Business and Financial Risk.
Combating money laundering and terrorist financing - the Nigerian experience
(Seahi Publications, 2016) Agu, B. O.; Nwankwo, S. N. P.; Onwuka, I. O.
Money Laundering and Terrorist financing have become a serious problem facing the social, economic and political roots of Nigeria. Money Laundering is a process by which large amounts of illegally obtained money from drug trafficking, terrorist activity or other serious crimes, is given the appearance of having originated from a legitimate source. Terrorist financing is defined to include both legitimate and illegitimate money characterized by concealment of the origin or intended criminal use of the funds. The techniques used to launder money are essentially the same as those used to conceal the sources of, and uses for, terrorist financing. The activities of money launderers and terrorists are highly secretive and do not lend themselves to statistical analysis. These ugly monsters called terrorism and money laundering have adverse impact on the economy and political stability of a country and hence such an activity must be curbed with all seriousness. This paper discussed the concepts, significance and the impact of terrorist financing and money laundering in Nigerian economy. The paper observes that developing countries such as Nigeria and other member states of the ECOWAS and African Union AU face certain challenges in fully implementing the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) recommendations because of lack of capacity and lack of financial resources amongst other reasons. Nations of the world must join hands and resources together in adopting measures aimed at dismantling syndicates engaged in money laundering by resorting to aggressive enforcement of anti-money laundering/ combating financing terrorism (AML/CFT) laws. It is, therefore, important that Nigeria establishes relationships with the international community so as to enhance intelligence gathering and sharing, law enforcement cooperation, economic sanctions, and in turn disrupt the flow of terrorist funding.
Effect of Financial Sector Development on Poverty Alleviation - The Nigerian Experience (1986 – 2018)
(Society for Science and Education (SSE), 2019-06-25) Onwuka, I. O.; Nwadiubu, A.
The study examined the impact of financial sector development on investment in government treasury bills in Nigeria. Financial sector development was proxied by the ratio of money supply to GDP (M2/GDP); private sector credit to GDP (CPS/GDP) and lending interest rate while the dependent variable was measured by the outstanding treasury bills in money market. The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. The study adopted the multiple regression technique while the result of the regression coefficient was subjected to diagnostic tests. The result of the study showed that the level of intermediation and lending interest rate had significant effect on investment in treasury bills in Nigeria as a unit increase in interest rate resulted in 52 percent increase in treasury bills. Also a unit increase in lending rate of banks led to 11 percent increase in investment in treasury bills in Nigeria. Based on the results, the study recommended a systematic reduction in lending interest rates and increase in savings rate to stimulate high investment returns to savers and reduce the credit risk on lending.
External debt and Economic Growth: the Nigeria Experience
(European Centre for Research Training and Development UK, 2016) Nwannebuike, U. S.; Ike, U. J.; Onwuka, I. O.
This research work was aimed at ascertaining the impact of external debt on economic growth in Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. While data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), External Debt Stock and External Debt Service Payment were obtained from World Bank International Debt Statistics, Exchange Rate data were collected from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, 2013. The period of study was 1980-2013. Model was formulated and data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Square. Diagnostic tests were conducted using Augmented Dick Fuller Unit Root Test, Co-integration and Error Correction Model. The independent variable was GDP, while the explanatory variables were External Debt Stock, External Debt Service Payment and Exchange Rate. We discovered that External Debt had a positive relationship with Gross Domestic Product at short run, but a negative relationship at long run. Also, while External Debt Service Payment had negative relationship with Gross Domestic Product, Exchange Rate had a positive relationship with it. The paper concluded that exchange rate fluctuation had positive impact on the Nigerian economy while external debt stock and debt service payment had negative impact on the same economy. The study recommended amongst others, that Debt Management Office should set mechanism in motion to ensure that loans were utilized for purposes for which they were acquired as well as set a ceiling for borrowing for states and federal governments based on well-defined criteria.
Impact of Capital Market on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Economic Development in Nigeria (2000-2015)
(International Organization of Scientific Research (IOSR Journals), 2016) Bertram, O. A.; Nwankwo, S.N.P.; Onwuka, I. O.
The study investigated the impact of Nigerian capital market on domestic resource mobilization for economic development, using time series data from 2000 to 2015. The study employed secondary data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, the Nigerian Stock Exchange Fact Book and Securities and Exchange Commission database. To evaluate the impact of the independent variables on the dependent, the ordinary least square (OLS) method of estimation was employed. Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test was used to identify the order of integration. Economic growth was proxied by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the capital market variables considered include: Market Capitalization (MCAP), Total New Issues (TNI) and value of transactions (VLT). Applying Johansen and Juselius co-integration test, the result showed that there was at most one co-integrating equation in the model, implying that there is a long run relationship between the variables in the model. The causality test results suggest bidirectional causation between the GDP and the value of transactions (VLT) and to the GDP but not vice-versa. Using two-tailed test, the F-statistics is significant at 5 percent level of significance. Furthermore, there was no evidence of reverse causation from GDP to market capitalization and there was no evidence of independence causation between the GDP and total new issues (TNI). The study showed that the major problem with domestic resource mobilization in Nigeria have been that not enough savings are being generated to facilitate the required investment. Also, the type of savings available does not easily make financial intermediation possible. The Nigerian stock market has been constrained by policies that tend to make the exchange look like a mechanism by which government raise loan finance rather than an instrument for mobilizing industrial finance. It is recommended therefore that the regulatory authority should appraise and modify the restrictive policies that constrained resource mobilization capacity of the Nigerian capital market
Impact of covid-19 pandemic on microfinance banks in Nigeria
(Savings and Development, 2022) Onwuka, I. O.; Nwadibu, A.; Okwara, U. K.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has created existential challenges to the Nigerian economy especially the microcredit delivery system and microfinance institutions that serve the poor and vulnerable groups in the country. The study investigated the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and the government mandated lockdown on the activities of microfinance banks (MFBs) in Nigeria using the exploratory and content analytical technique. The study found that all the key performance indicators (KFIs) of MFBs have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, the study found that the asset quality of MFBs has deteriorated with high level of portfolio at risk (PAR). The pandemic has also affected the capital adequacy of MFBs especially the state and unit MFBs due to increased and large provisioning for loan losses. In consequence, the shareholders’ funds for most of the state and unit MFBs have been seriously eroded and impaired by losses. Among others, the study recommended for an urgent regulatory forbearance and injection of liquidity in the sector by the Central Bank of Nigeria through a bail-out and to enlarge the CBN discount window to accommodate eligible MFBs to discount facilities that are hitherto only available to deposit money banks (DMBs).
Impact of rural credit facilities of Micro-Finance Banks on poverty alleviation – the Nigeria experience
(European Scientific Institute (ESI), Macedonia, 2015) Onwuka, I. O.; Udeh, S. N
The study focused on the impact of rural credit facilities of Micro- Finance Banks (MFBs) on poverty alleviation in Nigeria from 2005-2012. The overall objective of the study was to assess the impact of rural credit facilities of MFBs on rural financial markets and the implication on the rural economy and poverty alleviation. Multi–stage random sampling technique was utilized in the selection of rural MFBs and household respondents. In the first stage, 3 states – Anambra, Imo and Enugu were randomly selected from the 5 states that make the South Eastern Nigeria. Furthermore, from the 77 rural–based MFBs in South Eastern Nigeria, 27 were randomly selected from 27 communities. Finally, 10 household head respondents were selected from each of the 27 communities, making a total of 270 respondents, out of which 265 were successfully administrated with instruments of data collection. Data for the study were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from the respondents with the aid of interview schedule and questionnaire while secondary data came largely from annual financial statements of MFBs as collated and published in statistical bulletins of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Analysis of data collected was done with Multinomial Logistic Regression Model and descriptive statistics such as means and percentages. The study showed, among others, that deposits mobilized from rural communities by MFBs were siphoned out of the communities by way of fixed deposits with commercial banks usually located outside the communities, thereby defeating the sole idea of financial intermediation within the communities. The paper concluded that in spite of modest impact of rural credit facilities from MFBs with respect to deposit mobilization, wide areas for improvement still exist in relation to participation of women in credit facilities, among others. The study recommended the institution of gender equalization policies that would create incentives for increased lending to women.
Impact of sustainable solid waste management on economic development – lessons from Enugu State Nigeria
(International Institute for Science, Technology & Education (IISTE), 2014) Agbaeze E. K.; Onwuka, I. O.; Agbo, C. C.
Solid waste management system in Enugu State, Nigeria is inefficient and unsustainable largely due to the crude and unscientific methods employed. The current practice, process and programme of waste management in the state do not in any way conform to what is obtainable in other modern cities of the world. It is against this background that this study sought to find out the current state of solid waste management system in the state, and to identity factors that influences waste management and the type of solid waste management system that will aid economic development of the State. These objectives were addressed primarily using structured questionnaire administered to a cross section of people in three selected local government areas (Enugu East, North and South LGAs respectively). Personal interviews were also conducted to augment the questionnaire. It was observed that the solid waste management system in practice in the state is unscientific, unsustainable and at the prerogative of people in power. It was discovered that the current waste management system has no room for waste recycling, reuse and repair. There was also no provision for waste segregation and reduction at source technology. Majority of the waste is dumped at open landfill. The study also analyzed the newly proposed solid waste management system in the state and found that the proposed system will be better than the existing one if efficiently implemented. The proposed system outlined a framework of waste segregation, recycling, reuse, reduction, repair and abolition of certain polythene bags with less or no economic value. The authors recommend that a massive enlightenment campaign should be embarked upon to sensitize the people on the proposed waste management system so that they can key into it and contribute meaningful to its sustenance. There is need also to encourage the reuse of plastic bags, reduce litter, raise public awareness about environmental issues and encourage recycling as thicker bags will make recycling more economically viable the state government should also consider the option of public-private partnership which has been adopted with huge success in other climes.
Measuring corporate governance performance beyond the financial metrics: A study based on deposit money banks in Nigeria
(John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2019) Onwuka, I. O.; Okoro, B. C.; Onodugo, V. A.
Studies on corporate governance and firm performance have traditionally used financial metrics such as return on investment, return on assets, return on equity, profitable after tax, earnings per share, firm value (Tobin's q), and other quantifiable matrices. These performance measurement indicators, however, do not fully account for the social and environmental benefits derivable from corporate activities. This study differed from this approach by measuring corporate performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria using the sustainability reporting and triple bottom line (TBL) framework. Two TBL‐compliance metrics were developed that tracks the performanceof banks along the TBL parameters, which is more robust than the usual financial indicators. Six banks were selected for the study and were assigned scores based on their relative achievement in the adoption process of 17 identified metrics in the TBL framework. The results showed that Nigerian banks lacked behind in corporate governance performance based onTBL framework. On the aggregate, the level of spending on corporate social activities as a percentage of profit after tax was less than 1% for the 10‐year period reviewed (2013–2017). The study showed that all the sampled banks had put in place policy framework that is in tandem with the TBL template,but there is still a mix match between the policy enunciation and concrete investments needed to be fully TBL complaint. The study recommended that Nigerian banks should devote more resources towards meeting the increasing social, environmental,and ecological demands on them in line with global best practices.
Microcredit and poverty alleviation in Nigeria in COVID-19 pandemic
(Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), 2021) Onwuka, I. O.
Microcredit is a financial service whose importance is often understated. When lack of access to microcredit is exacerbated by a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, its real significance as an essential service in poverty alleviation becomes more apparent. The outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to dramatic transformations of every sector of the Nigerian society including microcredit delivery system, where formal and informal actors co-exist often in an uneasy relationship. Unfortunately, strategies for inclusive microcredit delivery before and during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking in Nigeria, fuelling the further exclusion of informal sector in microcredit governance and policy process in Nigeria. The paper reviews the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and identifies policy gaps in microcredit delivery and governance mechanism. The study also highlights the linkages between COVID-19 and microcredit in poverty alleviation with a view to catalyzing increased and inclusive access to microcredit and sustainability policy in Nigeria. It is argued that acknowledging the role of microcredit in informal economy and poverty alleviation is the critical first step towards framing a sustainable microcredit policy in which primary stakeholders are involved.
Microfinance banks and rural development—The Nigeria experience.
(Sage Publishing, 2014) Agbaeze, E. K.; Onwuka, I. O.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched the microfinance banking scheme on December 2005 as part of government strategies to achieve one of the cardinal agendas of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing extreme poverty by 2015. The microfinance banks (MFBs) were promoted to provide financial services to the economically active poor in the society and to create an environment of financial inclusion to boost the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises that abound in our rural areas. The impact of the MFBs in rural development in Nigeria was empirically evaluated in this study using some performance indicators. These include growth in deposit mobili¬zation, aggregate credit extension, loan per rural person (LPRP), total assets of MFBs, etc. The ordinary least square econometrics was used to generate the regression coefficients and other statistics. Data for the study were gath¬ered from the Annual Report and Accounts published by the MFBs and collated and analyzed by the CBN in the Statistical Bulletins. The impetus for the study waslargely derived from the renewed interest in microfinancing by the World Bank, International Development Institutions, the Nigerian Government and other International Development Partners. The results of the study show that MFBs have impacted positively on our rural economy. The regression coeffi¬cients for all the key factors analyzed in the research were positive though not statistically significant. This means that the full impact possibilities of these insti¬tutions as catalyst for rural development are yet to be realized. The findings also provide significant support to the rationale earlier canvassed by the CBN for the recent re-engineering of the various microfinance institutions in the country in order to improve their impact possibilities. The researchers noted that the recent re-engineering and retooling of the MFBs scheme is one step in the right direction and recommends that government should provide key infrastructures especially electricity and ensure stable macroeconomic environment to enable micro and other business enterprises to thrive in the country.
Mobile banking or m-banking is becoming a prominent feature in banking operations in Nigeria with more and more banks adopting this technology in order to provide the growing population of their customers with fast, accessible, reliable and quality services. The technology of mobile banking has emerged as a possible powerful provider of bundle of banking services. The mobile banking system involves the use of a mobile device (e.g. phone) to pay for goods or services either at the point of sale or conduct of banking transactions anywhere and anytime. The study evaluated the attitude of bank customers towards the adoption of M-banking services and challenges of mobile phone in conducting banking transactions in Nigeria with analytical focus on Enugu State. The survey research approach was adopted and data were collected from 200 respondents that include bank staff and customers of selected banks in Enugu metropolis. The analysis of data was conducted using descriptive statistical technique. The study revealed that the level of adoption of mobile banking in Enugu State is still low among the middle aged respondents compared to the aged. A massive awareness program to publicize the purpose and benefits derivable from the use of mobile banking should be encouraged. This, it is hoped, will boost the level of adoption of mobile banking services because of the convenience and accessibility offered by this banking platform.
(Seahi Publications, 2016) Agu, B. O.; Nwankwo S. P. N.; Onwuka, I. O.
Mobile banking or m-banking is becoming a prominent feature in banking operations in Nigeria with more and more banks adopting this technology in order to provide the growing population of their customers with fast, accessible, reliable and quality services. The technology of mobile banking has emerged as a possible powerful provider of bundle of banking services. The mobile banking system involves the use of a mobile device (e.g. phone) to pay for goods or services either at the point of sale or conduct of banking transactions anywhere and anytime. The study evaluated the attitude of bank customers towards the adoption of M-banking services and challenges of mobile phone in conducting banking transactions in Nigeria with analytical focus on Enugu State. The survey research approach was adopted and data were collected from 200 respondents that include bank staff and customers of selected banks in Enugu metropolis. The analysis of data was conducted using descriptive statistical technique. The study revealed that the level of adoption of mobile banking in Enugu State is still low among the middle aged respondents compared to the aged. A massive awareness program to publicize the purpose and benefits derivable from the use of mobile banking should be encouraged. This, it is hoped, will boost the level of adoption of mobile banking services because of the convenience and accessibility offered by this banking platform.
Portfolio Management and Performance of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (1990–2020)
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Fajinmi, C.; Onwuka, I. O.; Ayeni, E.
There have been a renewed focus on portfolio management of deposit money banks since the global financial crisis of 2007–09. This renewed focus is based on the understanding that an efficient portfolio management reduces risks and loss associated with uncertainty of investment returns which may impact on the performance of banks. In this study, we investigated the connection between portfolio management and performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study essentially sought to ascertain whether portfolio management has predictive value for the out-of-sample predictability of profitability of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The Markowitz portfolio theory underpin the study while time series data on deposit money banks’ liquidity, financial assets, foreign portfolio asset, deposit mix, and private sector concentration were utilized for the analysis. The time series spanned from 1990 to 2020 based on data availability. To increase the robustness of the result, the entire 24 DMBs were included in the study. The unit root test and bound cointegration test were employed to check times series behaviour of the variables. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) was used to estimate both the short-run and long-run dynamics and rapid correction to long-run equilibrium. Our findings reveal that portfolio management and its variants had significant effect on the profit after tax (PAT), return on investment (ROI), asset quality (ASQ), and capital adequacy (CA) of deposit money banks in Nigeria.
Promoting Export-Led Economic Growth in Nigeria –The Export Processing Zone Option
(IJHSSI (International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention), 2016) Onwuka, I. O.; Nwafor, M. C.
The volatility in crude oil production in Nigeria, which in recent times, have been heightened by militant attacks on critical oil installations in the Niger Delta area and the continued price spiral in international oil market has once again brought to the front burner anxieties about the future of the oil sector in the Nigerian economy. The unfolding scenario has again exposed the Nigerian economy to downside risks of volatility in oil prices with attendant Mconsequences and multiple effects on the economy and businesses as well. Since the third quarter of 2015, fallen prices of crude oil and fluctuations in crude oil production in Nigeria have conspired to put the country’s economy in dire straits. The oil price has fallen by more than 50 percent since June 2014, when it was $115 a barrel. It is now consistently below $50 and has been as low as $37. These developments have put the nation’s fiscal operations in quandary. The government has rightly responded by putting in place various fiscal and monetary measures to stem the tide. The federal government has adopted some austere measures to cushion the effect of the persistent drop in revenue. However, the implementation of these short-term measures to shore up revenue could be impeded by political exigencies which often times overrides economic rationality. Thus, a more comprehensive and alternative approach that will promote non-oil export will be a better option. To this end, the authors recommend the revitalization and retooling of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Scheme in order to effectively diversify the economy away from oil to an export-led economy.
Tackling infrastructural gap in Nigeria: the pension fund option
(Redfame Publishing, 2018) Onwuka, I. O.; Nwafor, M. C.
The paper reviewed the prospect of using the hugely untapped pension funds to bridge infrastructural financing gap in Nigeria. Infrastructure financing is estimated to cost Nigeria a total investment of USD2.9 trillion over the next 30 years to bring it to the level that can be competitive and self-sustaining. This huge investment outlay is clearly beyond the yearly fiscal operations of government. However, there is a glimmer of hope by way of pension funds, which as at August, 2016, is in excess of N5.9 trillion. This phenomenal growth in pension funds presents a rare opportunity to bridge the nation's current infrastructure gap by leveraging part of the huge pension assets for developmental purposes. The authors argued that there is need to review the regulatory and institutional framework in pension funds administration to make way for a creative use of some of the pension funds to fund infrastructure-creating a veritable profitable investment outlay for the pension funds contributors and at the same time providing the needed funding for critical infrastructure financing in the country.