Interest Rate Deregulation and Performance of Deposit Money Banks: Time Series Evidence from Nigeria

This work investigated the relationship between interest rate deregulation and performance of Nigerian deposit money banks for the period 1996-2018. Interest rate deregulation was disaggregated into prime lending rate, maximum lending rate, 3-months deposit rate and over 12-months deposit rate while return on assets (ROA) was used as a proxy for deposit money banks’ performance. Data on the above variables were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin (2018 edition) and the World Bank data base. The data were tested for stationarity using the Dickey-Fuller (D-F) test, for long-run relationship using Bound’s co-integration test, and for reliability of ARDL results using serial correlation, heteroscedasticity and normality tests. The results of the tests revealed that all the variables were integrated of order zero or one, and that a long-run relationship exists between the variables. Consequently, ARDL model for parameter estimation process revealed that only prime lending rate was positively related to ROA of banks while none of the explanatory variables was statistically significant. The researcher then submitted that there is no significant relationship between interest rate deregulation and the performance of Nigerian deposit money banks for the period considered. Hence, deposit money banks should strive to mobilize adequate savings from surplus spenders by offering them deposit rates that are capable of inducing savers to increase their savings and boost the availability of loanable funds. Also, there is urgent need to restructure the Nigerian financial system whereby policies by the monetary authorities will achieve pre-determined goals. In essence, to make interest rate policies meaningful, there is need to curtail financial transactions that escape the banking system.