ADSU International Journal of Applied Economics, Finance and Management

Assessing The Trends In Financial Inclusion And Channels Through Which It Can Spur Economic Growth In Nigeria: A Descriptive Approach

Abstract

This study examines the trends of financial inclusion and the mechanisms that underpin economic growth through financial services, products and finance access using data collected from Nigeria’s Financial Development Indicators (FINDEX) from 2011 to 2018. Evidence has shown that increased access to and utilisation of financial products and services, such as ATMs and depositor accounts among others have a favourable impact on economic performance. This study reveals that in 2011, the overall access to financial institutions account in Nigeria was just 30%. This percentage increased to 44% in 2014 but later declined to 39% in 2017. This low and dwindling percentage of access and usage of financial means that a lot needs to be done for the economy to benefit most from the financial inclusion. This study recommends that to increase economic growth, more efforts be made to enhance the usage of financial products and services such as electronic transactions, POS, ATM, and mobile banking especially in the rural communities.