PERFORMANCE

The study examined the relationship between ownership structure and bank performance covering a period of 10 years spanning from 2014 to 2023. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the effect of foreign ownership bank performance, the effect of institutional ownership on bank performance, the effect of float ownership on bank performance, the effect of government ownership on bank performance, and the effect of family ownership on bank performance. To this end, the study employs a panel data regression approach, sampling 12 banks from all listed banks in the Nigeria stock exchange as at December, 2024. The analysis covered the descriptive statistics of the variables, followed by correlation analysis then the panel OLS regression analysis. The findings revealed that institutional ownership has a positive but insignificant impact on bank performance, that government ownership has a significant negative impact on bank performance, that family ownership has a negative and insignificant impact on bank performance, that foreign ownership does not have a significant impact on bank performance, and lastly, float ownership has no significant impact on bank performance in Nigeria.The study concludes that empirical evidence on the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance of Nigerian banks has been provided, recommending, among others, that in order to successfully improve firm performance and profitability, institutional owners should diversify their investment strategies, governments should privatize state-owned enterprises and implement governance reforms, governments should simplify regulatory frameworks to attract foreign investment, firms should promote investor education and engagement, and family-owned firms should develop succession planning and establish clear governance structures.