Monetary Policy in Nigeria: Investigating the Role of Private Sector Credit

Abstract

This study examines the interest rate channel of monetary policy rates through private sector credits to prices. It applies an approach that is not common in monetary policy transmission mechanism in literature as many studies on transmission mechanism of monetary policy only examine statistical relationship between policy variables and target variables which may not be able to explain the pathway through which the monetary policies are transmitted. This paper uses mediation approach to assess the significance of causal path of interest rate through the bank lending channel. This paper dwelt on the transmission paths- from maximum interest rate, inter-bank call rate, treasury bill rate to prices through the private sector credits. The findings of this study lay credence to effective and significant transmission effects of interest rates (maximum lending rate, interbank lending rate and treasury bill rate) through private sector credit to prices. The paper concludes that maximum lending rate path has the highest significant transmission effect to prices. This is followed by the treasury bill rate and the inter-bank call rate respectively. The findings in this study is new in the case of Nigeria as no previous studies have applied mediation approach to the study of transmission mechanism of bank lending channel in Nigeria. Central banks should explore ways to effectively make policy towards effectively directing the monetary policy through maximum lending rate and treasury bill rates as they have the most significant paths through which the monetary policy rate is transmitted to prices.