ABSTRACT
This study examined liquidity management and commercial banks’ profitability in Nigeria. The major aims of the study were to find empirical evidence of the degree to which effective liquidity management affects profitability in commercial banks and how commercial banks can enhance their liquidity and profitability positions. Considering the nature of the survey, quantitative methods of research were applied. In attempt to achieve the objectives of the study, several findings were made through the analysis of both the structured and unstructured questionnaire on the management of banks and the financial reports of the sampled banks. The data obtained from the Primary and Secondary sources were analyzed through collection, sorting and grouping of the data in tables of percentages and frequency distribution. We formulated a hypothesis, which were statistically tested through Pearson correlation data analysis. Findings from the testing of this hypothesis indicate that there is significant relationship between liquidity and profitability. That means profitability in commercial banks is significantly influenced by liquidity and vice versa. The study concluded that for the success of operations and survival, commercial banks should not compromise efficient and effective liquidity management and that both illiquidity and excess liquidity are “financial diseases” that can easily erode the profit base of a bank as they affect bank’s attempt to attain high profitability-level.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In every system, there are major components that feature paramount for the survival of the system. This is also applicable to the financial system. The banking institution had contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the entire financial system as they offer an efficient institutional mechanism through which resources can be mobilized and directed from less essential uses to more productive investments (Wilner,2000).
In the performance of this financial inter-mediation role, the financial institutions have proved to be an effective channel between savers and borrowers. Among the financial institutions that make themselves available for this all-important role are merchant banks, savings banks, the Central bank, development banks and commercial banks. Commercial banks have overtime become very important institutions in the financial system as they function as retail banking units facilitating the transfer of financial assets that are well desired from some part of the public (Fund Lenders) into other financial assets which are more widely preferred by greater part of the public (fund seekers). In view of this role and of the fact that the activities of the commercial banks affect the greater part of the society, commercial banks are selected as the main focus of this study.
Financial inter-mediation role of the commercial banks hence becomes the bed-rock of the two major functions of commercial banks namely deposit mobilization and credit extension. An adequate financial intermediation requires the purposeful attention of the bank management to profitability and liquidity, which are two conflicting goals of the commercial banks. These goals are parallel in the sense that an attempt for a bank to achieve higher profitability will certainly erode its liquidity and solvency positions and vice versa.
Practically, profitability and liquidity are effective indicators of the corporate health and performance of not only the commercial banks (Eljelly,2004), but all profit-oriented ventures. These performance indicators are very important to the shareholders and depositors who are major publics of a bank. As the shareholders are interested in the profitability level, the depositors are concerned with liquidity position which determines a bank’s ability to respond to the withdrawal needs which are normally on demand or on a short notice as the case may be.
Liquidity management is an important aspect of monetary policy implementation, while the other integral component of monetary policy, i.e. economic management, involves promoting sustainable economic growth over the long term by keeping monetary and credit expansion in step with an economy’s noninflationary output potential, liquidity or reserve management as a shorter time horizon. In order to maintain relative macro-economic stability, reliance is placed on liquidity management to even out the swings in liquidity growth in the banking system