October-2023 - Volume 1, Number 1 (2023)
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL EXCLUSION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN BENIN
P. O. Timothy
This study aims to analyze the relationship between financial exclusion and poverty reduction in Benin. The study uses data from the World Bank’s Global Findex database for the years 2011, 2014, and 2017, and employs a probit model to determine factors contributing to financial exclusion, including lack of documentation, expensive financial services, distance from financial institutions, and lack of trust in financial institutions. The study also explores how individual characteristics such as age, education level, religion, gender, and employment status are associated with financial exclusion. The findings of the study reveal a positive and significant impact of financial exclusion on...
MITIGATING FINANCIAL RISKS IN THE ARAB REGION: A LOGIT REGRESSION APPROACH TO EARLY WARNING OF BANK FAILURE
J. A Nelder, R. W Wedderburn
The stability of the financial system is constantly threatened by the potential bank failures, which could lead to negative impacts on economies as a whole. Therefore, the development of effective early warning systems by central banks is essential to mitigate these risks. This study aims to identify financial soundness indicators that can help build an early warning system to predict and prevent bank failures in the Arab region. Logistic regression model was used to analyze data from 60 commercial banks in the Arab region from 2000-2010. The study found that financial soundness indicators such as ROA and CAR had a...
COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTAINMENT POLICIES AND THE TRADE-OFFS WITH INDIA'S ECONOMY
A. Chanda, Cook J
This study examines the impact of COVID-19 containment policies on economic activity in India using nighttime light intensity as a proxy. The study found that nationwide lockdown in March and April 2020 dimmed nighttime light intensity across the country. Recovery in May and subsequent months depended on the zone classification, with red zones experiencing lower recovery due to the severest restrictions. The effects of the zone classification tapered off in June and July 2020 but the impact of pandemic containment persisted even after restrictions were lifted. The study used household-level income and consumption patterns to corroborate its results. The paper...
A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY COMMITMENT AND ETHICAL FINANCIAL BEHAVIOR AMONG MALAYSIAN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
H. Saunders, K. Vehviläinen-Julkunen
This paper examines the factors influencing ethical financial behavior among undergraduate students in Malaysia. The study focuses on the impact of financial knowledge, money attitude, financial self-efficacy, and locus of control on ethical financial behavior. The university years are a critical time for students to develop financial independence, and with limited financial constraints, students are more vulnerable to making unwise financial decisions leading to financial problems, stress, and bankruptcy. The paper proposes a framework that highlights the mediating role of university commitment in ethical financial behavior. The authors recommend that policymakers, authorities, and financial institutions play a vital role in...
POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA: PROGRESS, CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD UNDER THE NEEDS POLICY
O. N. Njoku
This article examines the effectiveness of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) policy implemented by the Nigerian government as a means of poverty alleviation. It argues that NEEDS is merely an extension of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), which has further deepened the country's economic and social crises instead of ameliorating it. The article reviews past poverty eradication efforts in Nigeria and highlights the complexity and multidimensionality of poverty. The study concludes that NEEDS as a reform program is insufficient in addressing the root causes of poverty in Nigeria and recommends a new approach to poverty alleviation that...