Agricultural Financing and Economic Growth in Nigeria

Abstract

This research investigated the impact of agricultural finance on the economic development of Nigeria between the years 1986 and 2022. The Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, bank loans to farmers, government spending on agriculture, and real gross domestic product were used as substitutes for agricultural funding. This analysis relies on time-series data culled from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s statistics bulletin. This research utilised the following data analysis methods: the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression tool, the Error Correction Model technique, the Johansen Cointegration test, and the Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test. In congruent with the study’s results, there is a substantial relationship between agricultural bank loans and Nigeria’s real GDP. In addition, the Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the monetary worth of all final products and services produced inside Nigeria—is highly correlated with the amount of money the government spends on agriculture. A substantial and important relationship exists between Nigeria’s Real Gross Domestic Product and the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund. The results of the research indicate that the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, government investment in agriculture, and bank loans all made substantial improvements to Nigeria’s economic development. It has been suggested, among other recommendations, that increasing the volume and size of agricultural loans by reducing the interest rate will facilitate greater economic development in the nation.