Abstract:

This paper assesses financial intermediation in Nigeria and how it has impacted economic growth. The study sourced time series data between 1996 and 2022 from the Central Bank of Nigeria and utilized econometric techniques using Ordinary least square regression, Error correction model, and Pairwise Causality to assess the impact of the financial intermediation institutions on the growth of the nation's Gross Domestic Product. The paper focused on banks, capital markets, and the insurance industry being significant institutions in the financial system. The GDP is the dependent variable, while Credit to the Private Sector as a percentage of GDP (CPS/GDP) and Total Savings as a percentage of GDP (TS/GDP) were used as proxies for assessing banks' contributions to economic growth. Stock market capitalization was used as a proxy for the contribution of the capital market to economic growth, and Insurance industry assets were used as a proxy for the insurance industry's contribution to economic growth. The study revealed no co-integration and long-term relationship between economic growth and the financial intermediation variables. There was, however, a unidirectional causal relationship between economic growth and the banks and the capital markets. There was no causality between economic growth and insurance. We recommend that policymakers undertake periodic reforms to deepen the capacity of the institutions to support de-risking and funding small and medium enterprises and the agricultural value chain, which are vital channels for diversifying the economy. The regulatory authorities are pivotal in upscaling the institutions' contribution to economic development.

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