PROFITABILITY

This study investigated the effect of digital payment systems on the profitability of deposit money banks in Nigeria using quarterly time-series data from 2012Q1 to 2022Q4. Five electronic payment channels such as Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Point of Sale (POS), Web payment platforms, Mobile payment systems, and NIBSS Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) were examined. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) technique was employed to estimate the long-run relationship between digital payment adoption and bank profitability. The empirical findings revealed that ATM and Web payment transaction values exerted a statistically significant and positive influence on bank profitability. In contrast, POS, Mobile payment, and NEFT transaction values showed no significant long-run effect on profitability during the study period. These results suggest that while some digital channels have matured into profit generating platforms, others remain operationally essential but financially under-optimized. Based on the findings, the study recommends that banks strengthen and expand ATM and Internet banking infrastructure to sustain profitable digital operations. In addition, banks should re-evaluate fee structures, improve service reliability, and increase merchant and customer adoption of POS and mobile payment platforms to unlock profitability potential. Collaboration with regulators and payment stakeholders is also essential to enhance NEFT efficiency, reduce operational costs, and support wider digital financial ecosystem stability. Overall, a balanced multi-channel digital strategy is crucial for long-term profitability and competitive resilience in Nigeria’s evolving financial technology landscape

This Study conducted a profitability analysis of plantain marketing in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. It was observed that there was no clarity on the measures that plantain marketers in Ovia-North East Local Government Area of Edo State put in place to reduce the effect of the marketing constraints in order to increase their marketing profitability. Hence, the study objectives were to identify the socio-economic characteristics of the respondent; determine the marketing channels; determine the profitability; identify the marketing constraints and identify the ameliorating measures for plantain marketing in the study area. The primary data used for the study were collected through interview with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Eight (8) markets were purposively selected in the study area. Marketers were proportionately sampled from each market giving a total sample size of ninety (90) respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics, cost and return analysis, ordinary least square regression analysis, and Likert scale were used to analyze data collected. Majority of the marketers interviewed were female (95.6%), married (66.7%), within the age group of 40-49 (30%) with secondary education (38.9%), 6 10 years and 20 years and above (28.9%) marketing experience and household size of 1-5 (58.9%). The study encountered mainly retailers (48.9%). Marketers had a mean monthly gross income of ₦172.17 per bunch. Their gross ratio, operating ratio, expense structure ratio, return per capital invested and benefit cost ratio were 0.17, 0.82, 0.004, 0.21 and 1.21 respectively. Marketing constraints were high purchase price, seasonality, high transfer cost and poor access to credit facilities. Ameliorating measures used were thrift society and joint vehicle hiring. Quantity sold and transfer cost were the significant determinants of revenue with a coefficient of 1334 and 671.68 respectively. It was concluded that plantain marketing was profitable and that technologies, financial and transport systems dedicated to agricultural products, most especially plantain, will greatly boost profitability.

Nigeria as the world leader in cassava production, is yet to tap the full potential embedded in cassava. This study was conducted to determine the profitability analysis of processing cassava into fufu in Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic
characteristics of cassava “fufu” processors in the study area, determine the profitability of processing cassava intofufu, ascertain the determinants of profit among respondents in the study area, and determine the constraints to cassava
“fufu”processing.
Simple random sampling technique was used to select 60 respondents from the
study area. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and interview
schedule. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and regression analysis.
Findings show that fufu processing is female dominated. The study indicated that fufu processing is profitable in the study area with an average gross margin of ₦48 786.74 per processor. The major determinants of profits were age of the respondents, packaging cost, starting capital, cost of cassava bought, price per unit sold and quantity sold per week. Fufu processing is faced with a major 10 constraints, such as inadequate capital (3.87), price fluctuation (4.37), cassava variety (3.40), and weather problem (4.07). The study recommends that the
processorspooltheirresourcestogethersotheycanjointlyboosttheirbusiness.