Determinants of Financial Depth: A Case Study of Mortgage and Microfinance Banks in Nigeria

Abstract

Financial depth is an important components of financial development for which determinants have been examined by a number of extant studies, using different kinds of financial depth indicators. This study aims at analyzing the factors that determine financial depth using the assets of mortgage and microfinance banks as indicators of financial depth. The study employs data that span from 1992 to 2021, using Auto-regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. It is found in the study that the policy of conversion of community banks to microfinance banks and the introduction of mortgage warehouse fund have positive effects on microfinance and mortgage banks’ assets. Also, it is found that literacy rate has negative effect only on the microfinance bank assets. Thus, this study recommends further deepening of the various segments of financial system, policy makers should strengthen the existing policies and create the new similar policies and reforms with respect to each indicator of financial depth.