Cashless Economy and Profitability Drive of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria

Abstract

 This study investigated the impact of cashless economy on profitability of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The research adopted an ex-post facto design based on post-positivist ontology. The data for the study were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) annual report and statistical bulletin, annual and account reports of 13 listed banks for 11 years i.e. 2012 -2022. The main objective was to find out the effect of cashless economy on profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The specific objectives are to ascertain the effect of automated teller machine on profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria, to examine the effect of point of sale on profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria, to assess the effect of mobile banking on profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria and to examine the effect of internet banking on profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, Augmented Dickey Fuller Tests for Unit Roots and the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) were applied on profitability of the listed banks adopted as sample size. The result of the study indicates that Automated Teller Machine (ATM), Point of Sale (POS), Mobile Banking (MOB), and Internet Banking (ITB) have positive and significant effect on return on assets (ROA). The study concludes that cashless economy has positively affected the profitability of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The study recommends that government should provide adequate digital infrastructures, stable and uninterrupted power supply and adequate communication link to aid cashless economy driving seamless profitability of the banks.

KEYWORDS: Cashless economy, Communication, Nigeria, Profitability of deposit money banks