Applied Journal of Economics, Management and Social Sciences

Assessing the impact of Risk Levels and fund size on Collective Investment Performance of Selected Fund Managers in Nigeria

Salihu MAIRAFI — 2024-11-25

Collective investment schemes are vital tools for wealth creation, providing investors access to professional fund management and diversification. This study examined the impact of risk levels and fund size on the performance of selected fund managers in Nigeria from 2014 to 2023. Secondary data from the top 10 collective investment schemes and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were analyzed using the Difference Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to address endogeneity, serial correlation, and cross-sectional dependence. Results showed that higher risk levels significantly improved investment performance, with managers who embraced more risk achieving better returns. Fund size also had a positive effect, as larger funds benefited from economies of scale and broader diversification. Additionally, past performance strongly influenced future returns, highlighting persistence in fund managers’ abilities. The study recommends that the SEC and fund management firms develop clearer risk management guidelines to encourage balanced risk-taking. Fund managers should focus on expanding their asset base through marketing and innovation, supported by SEC incentives to improve market liquidity. Enhanced transparency in performance reporting, aligned with global standards, is also advised to facilitate informed investor decisions and improve accountability.

Does Institutional Quality Drive Economic Growth in the West African Monetary Zone?

Bolaji Ajileye — 2024-11-25

This study investigates the influence of institutional quality on economic growth within the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) using panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model techniques on data from 1990 to 2022. The findings highlight the crucial role of institutional quality in fostering long-run economic growth in the region. Notably, the control of corruption demonstrates a positive and significant impact on growth over the long run. However, its effect is insignificant in the short run. Conversely, economic freedom appears to impede growth in both time frames, with its short-run impact being statistically insignificant. The analysis indicates that the economy adjusts to long-run equilibrium at a rate of 83.39% following short-run deviations. Additionally, there is a unidirectional causality from control of corruption to economic growth, alongside a bidirectional causality between the economic freedom index and growth. Based on these findings, this study recommends that WAMZ governments prioritize strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks to combat corruption and enhance institutional transparency. Furthermore, the WAMZ government and policymakers should ensure a balanced approach between deregulation and necessary oversight, which is crucial for fostering sustainable economic growth in the region.

Effect of Foreign Capital Inflow on Economic Growth In Sub-Saharan Africa

Salihu L. Mairafi — 2024-10-16

Foreign capital inflows have been judged to play a critical role in economic growth providing the necessary capital to fuel economic development. However, the effect of these capital inflows on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been a subject of debate, with varying results across different studies. This study investigates the effect of foreign capital inflows on economic growth across 26 selected Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1998 to 2022. The study uses Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI), and Official Development Assistance (ODA) as proxies for foreign capital inflow, while real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) is used to measure economic growth. Data was sourced from the World Bank Development Indicators (WDI), and the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) was employed for data analysis. The findings reveal that both FDI and FPI have a significant positive effect on economic growth in SSA at the 5% significance level. While ODA also shows a positive effect on economic growth, it is not statistically significant at the 5% level. The study concludes that Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment inflows enhance economic growth in SSA. The study recommends emphasizing local content in FDI to stimulate sustained economic growth, enhancing SSA’s capital market to attract more FPI through competitive international coupon rates, and reviewing SSA’s institutional framework for foreign aid utilization to address loopholes that may hinder short-term growth.

Human Resources Policies and Employee Performance: Evidence from Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

Adeyinka Antwi — 2024-10-21

Employee performance is a fundamental driver of organizational success. Various factors influence performance, including the implementation of effective human resource policies that shape the management and development of employees to maximise their potential and contribute to organizational goals. This study aimed to investigate the effect of human resource policies and employee performance at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, by examining the relationship between employee engagement and employee efficiency, organisational culture, and teamwork and collaboration. The sample size for the study was 289, and a structured five-point Likert-type questionnaire was used for data collection. Regression analysis was used to determine the effects of study indicators. The results showed that both employee engagement and organisational culture had a significant effect on employee efficiency, teamwork, and collaboration, with coefficients of determination r=0.380 and r=0.318, respectively. The study highlights a notable impact of employee efficiency and engagement within the organisation, which indicates that well-designed human resource policies positively influence employee efficiency, leading to improved overall performance. This suggests that a strong and positive organizational culture coupled with effective teamwork and collaboration fosters higher levels of employee productivity and performance. Based on these findings, given the significant effect of employee efficiency and engagement on overall performance, organisations should focus on strengthening their employee engagement initiatives. This can be achieved by fostering a positive work culture that encourages open communication, the recognition of achievements, and opportunities for professional growth.

Revalidation of the impact of growth in Money Supply on Inflation in Nigeria

Oyebanji Olaoye — 2024-10-05

This study examines the impact of money supply on inflation in Nigeria, using quarterly data series from 1980 – 2023. The Johansen cointegration approach, Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), and Granger causality test are used to identify the long-run relationship, the short-run dynamic, transmission lag, and causal relationship among the variables respectively. The variables considered are inflation, broad money supply, and real GDP. The regression results suggest that money supply has a significant impact on inflation in the short and long run. However, money supply has a higher impact in the long run compared with the short run. The result remained consistent with the classical Quantity theory of money and the monetarist hypothesis on inflation. Furthermore, the study confirmed that in the long run, the money supply growth significantly and positively impacts inflation. Moreover, the causality test result reveals that money supply growth has a unidirectional causal relationship with inflation, and the causal relationship runs from money supply growth to inflation. By implication, the monetary authority can manage the money supply to affect the level of the level of general prices (inflation).

External Debt and Economic Growth in Nigeria

Babatunde Binuyo — 2024-10-05

Over the past few years, Nigeria has experienced a rapid increase in external debt, leading to widespread public concern about its potential effects on the country’s economic growth. This study employed an ex-post facto research design to examine the relationship between external debt and economic growth in Nigeria from 1983 to 2022. Data for the study were sourced from the World Bank Development Indicators (WDI) and analyzed using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. The findings indicated the existence of a long-run relationship among the variables. The long-run estimates of the variables employed in the study—external debt stock (EDS), debt service on external debt (DSED), inflation rate (INF), and exchange rate (EXR)—on economic growth were as follows: β = 0.0753, t = 0.8102, p > 0.05; β = -0.0935, t = -1.7669, p > 0.05; β = -0.0281, t = -9.0746, p < 0.05; β = 0.1209, t = 4.6602, p < 0.05, respectively. The study concluded that external debt has no significant effect on economic growth in Nigeria. It recommended that policymakers should ensure loans are properly monitored and eliminate leakages in the system. Additionally, loans should undergo a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to ensure that the benefits of the investments exceed the costs associated with debt servicing.

Agricultural Financing and Agricultural Output in Nigeria

Ubong. S Udoette — 2024-10-05

This study examined agricultural financing and agricultural output in Nigeria, focusing on the moderating effect of interest rates from 1978 to 2020. Using vector error correction model estimation, the results indicated that an increase in agricultural bank credit generally leads to an increase in agricultural output. This suggests that a rise in bank credit to agriculture will enhance productivity in the agricultural sector. To ascertain the effect of interest rates on agricultural bank credit and output, interest rates were interacted with bank credit to agriculture. It was observed that considering interest rates in relation to bank credit contributed 15.1% less to agricultural performance growth compared to non-consideration of interest rates. This indicates that agro-economic activities are significantly influenced by both interest rates and bank credit. Furthermore, the study found that bank credit to agriculture, when considered with interest rates, caused changes in agricultural output. This implies that monetary policies favoring bank credit to agriculture will boost agro-productivity in Nigeria. Among the policy recommendations, the CBN should adopt monetary policies and schemes, particularly those related to interest rates, that favor the supply of bank credit to agriculture. This approach will translate to more meaningful growth in agricultural performance.

Effect of Remittances and External Debt on Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Salihu Mairafi — 2024-11-11

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has long struggled with volatile and sluggish economic growth, worsened by macroeconomic challenges such as unpredictable foreign capital inflows. These inflows, particularly remittances and external debt are critical to financing development and contribute to economic stability. This study examines the effect of remittances and external debt on economic growth in SSA. To achieve the objectives, panel data was sourced from World Bank Development Indicators (WDI) for 26 SSA countries from 1998 to 2023. The system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) was used to estimate the relationship and address potential endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity in the data. The findings from the System GMM model revealed that both remittances and external debt positively and significantly contribute to economic growth in SSA. The study concludes that remittances enhance household consumption and investment, while external debt, when effectively managed, is used to finance productive projects that stimulate economic activity. It is recommended that SSA countries strengthen their financial management and policy frameworks to maximize the benefits of foreign capital inflows while mitigating potential risks associated with volatility and debt sustainability.

Financial development and private investment on inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan African countries: A second generation PARDL approach

Sheriffdeen Tella — 2024-05-01

The pursuit of inclusive growth necessitates a comprehensive strategy that addresses entrenched structural barriers curbing economic participation and overall well-being. At the heart of this endeavour lies the significance of a stable financial system. Such a system, by fostering financial inclusion, bolstering entrepreneurship, enabling long-term investments, and enhancing economic stability, holds the potential to bridge the disparities impeding inclusive growth. This study delves into the intricate interplay between financial development, investment, and the realization of inclusive growth. Utilizing data spanning 27 African countries from 2005 to 2021, this research employs the Augmented Group Mean (AGM). The findings illuminate the multifaceted impacts of financial development on gross domestic product per person employed, an indicator of inclusive growth. Importantly, the study underscores the pivotal role a stable financial system plays in fostering overall inclusive growth and creating a conducive environment for equitable economic participation and prosperity for all segments of society.

Interaction effect of institutional quality on the relationship between economic factors and unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Babatunde Binuyo — 2024-04-09

The unemployment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been steadily increasing over the years. This rise may be attributed to weak institutional quality. Although governments in SSA countries have adopted several policies to improve institutional quality, unemployment still remains a critical problem in SSA. Several studies on the determinants of unemployment have failed to consider the impact of institutional quality on unemployment. The study employed an ex-post facto research design to examine the determinants of unemployment and the role of institutional quality in SSA. Based on data availability, panel data between 1996 and 2021 from 24 selected countries were used for the analysis. Data were analyzed using the Dynamic Panel Autoregressive Regressive Distributed Lag. The study adopted a 5% level of statistical significance. Findings indicated the existence of long-run relationships among the variables. The study concluded that institutional quality affected unemployment in SSA. The study recommended that all countries in the region should strengthen their institutional quality by ensuring political stability and regulatory quality to reduce the rate of unemployment.