Department of Finance

This study examines the interest rate fluctuations on the profitability of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Given the critical role of interest rates in shaping financial performance, this research assesses how key interest rate indicators Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), Prime Lending Rate (PLR), and Treasury Bill Rate (TBR) impact bank profitability, measured by Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). A quantitative research approach is adopted, employing an ex-post facto research design to analyze secondary data collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), banks’ annual reports, and the World Bank database. The study covers a ten-year period from 2013 to 2023, using a purposive sampling technique to select ten commercial banks based on data availability and market representation.

The study examined the relationship between Corporate Governance structure and financial
performance of deposit money Banks in Nigeria, from 2011 – 2023. The specific objectives of the
study were to investigate the effect of board size, board composition, board independence and audit
quality on financial performance of DMBs in Nigeria. To this end, the study employed an ex-post
facto research design, 10 Banks were sampled out from the listed deposit money banks in the
Nigerian exchange market, and the data gotten was analysed using the Panel Least Squares
method. The findings revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between board size
and financial performance (ROA) of DMBs in Nigeria, the there is no significant relationship
between board composition and financial performance (ROA) of DMBs in Nigeria, that Board
independence has a significant and positive effect on financial performance of DMBs in Nigeria;
and that there is no significant relationship found between audit quality and financial performance
of DMBs in Nigeria. The study concludes that, corporate governance significantly affects financial
performance of deposit money banks, and therefore recommends, among others, that deposit money
banks should increase board sizes, promote board independence and improve board diversity.

This study looks at how monetary policy affected Nigeria's economic growth between 1988 and 2024. The relationships between the monetary policy rate, inflation rate, interest rate, and Treasury bill rate and GDP is the main focus of the analysis. Different levels of significance and directionality among these variables are identified by the study using the ordinary least squares (OLS) econometric method. The findings reveal that the monetary policy rate has a positive and significant effect on economic growth, underscoring its role as a critical tool for economic stabilization. However, interest rate and Treasury bill rate exhibit negative and statistically insignificant relationships with GDP, indicating limited influence within the Nigerian context. Similarly, the inflation rate demonstrates a positive but statistically insignificant relationship with economic growth, suggesting a nuanced effect depending on macroeconomic conditions. The study comes to the conclusion that while monetary policy is still essential for managing the economy, better transmission mechanisms, structural changes, and complementary fiscal measures can increase its efficacy

This study explored the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the financial performance of deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigates impact of CSR on Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), and Net Profit Margin (NPM). It focused on four CSR dimensions: corporate governance, economic responsibility, ethical responsibility and philanthropic responsibility.

The study adopted an ex-post facto research design, utilizing secondary data obtained from The Annual Financial Reports of DMBs listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) from 2011 to 2023. The analysis employed panel data estimation techniques, including fixed and random effects models, to determine the relationships between CSR practices and financial performance of deposit Money banks.

The findings indicated that economic responsibility had a significant positive effect on ROA, suggesting that DMBs that engage in value-creating activities such as offering innovative financial products and services, as well as supporting local economic development, tend to experience improved financial performance. Additionally, philanthropic responsibility, which includes community development initiatives, education support, and disaster relief efforts, was found to positively impact ROA, ROE and NIM enhancing brand reputation and customer loyality. Ethical responsibility, reflected in the adoption of transparent and fair business practices, also demonstrated a positive effect on financial performance by fostering trust and mitigating risk associated with legal and reputational issues. However, corporate governance was found to have no significant impact on ROA, indicating that governance practices may not directly influence the financial outcomes of Nigerian banks. Based on these findings, the study recommended that banks should priorities economic and philanthropic CSR activities, promote ethical business conduct, and enhance their corporate governance frameworks to improve performance. The results underline the importance of CSR in contributing to both financial success and socio-economic development in host communities.