South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Electronic Banking and Economic Growth in Nigeria: An Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Time-Series Analysis

Amalachukwu Chijindu Ananwude, Edith Nkiruka Mazeli, Ogochukwu Florence Ngaikedi — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed the effect of electronic banking on economic growth in Nigeria using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) time-series framework. Specifically, it examined how transactions through automated teller machines (ATMs), mobile banking, internet banking and point-of-sale (POS) terminals relate to real gross domestic product (RGDP). The study adopted an ex-post facto research design and used annual secondary data for 2006-2023, obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The ARDL bounds test indicated no long-run relationship between electronic banking channels and economic growth, as the F-statistic of 2.144076 was below both the lower and upper critical bounds at the 5% level. The short-run estimates showed that ATM and mobile banking transactions had negative but statistically insignificant relationships with RGDP, while internet banking and POS terminal transactions had positive but statistically insignificant relationships. The Granger causality results further showed no unidirectional or bidirectional causality between each electronic banking channel and RGDP over the study period. These findings suggest that, within the period examined, the expansion of electronic banking transactions did not translate into a statistically significant contribution to Nigeria's economic growth. The study therefore concludes that electronic banking, although useful for transaction convenience and service delivery, has not yet provided a measurable macroeconomic growth effect in the Nigerian context examined. It recommends improved public awareness of ATM use, fuller deployment of cashless instruments by deposit money banks, stronger monitoring of web and mobile payment channels by the Central Bank of Nigeria and commercial banks, and wider promotion of POS payment systems to support safer and more efficient transactions.

Consumer Purchase Behaviour and Preference towards Organic Food Products in Madurai City, Tamil Nadu, India

S. Alhafeza, V. Devika — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Growing concern about food safety, health, and environmental sustainability has increased consumers’ interest in organic food products. This study examines consumer purchase behaviour and preferences towards organic food products in Madurai City, Tamil Nadu, India. It specifically identifies purchasing patterns, product preferences, sources of awareness, and the factors influencing buying decisions. The study adopted a descriptive research design and collected primary data from 100 consumers through a structured questionnaire. Secondary information was obtained from published sources, including books, journals, research articles, and websites. The data were analysed using percentage analysis, weighted average mean scores, and the Garrett ranking technique. The demographic results show that 68 per cent of the respondents were female, 31 per cent were aged 25-35 years, 72 per cent were married, 48 per cent were undergraduates, 31 per cent were private employees, and 42 per cent had a monthly income below Rs. 20,000. Most respondents purchased organic food products weekly, and social media was the leading source of awareness. The weighted average mean score indicates that health consciousness was the most important factor influencing purchase decisions, followed by food safety, nutritional benefits, product quality, organic certification, and environmental concern. Price received the lowest ranking among the factors considered. The Garrett ranking results show that difficulty in recognising genuine organic products was the major problem faced by consumers, followed by lack of confidence in organic certification and limited knowledge about organic foods. The findings suggest that consumer trust, product authenticity, certification transparency, information accessibility, and product availability are important for strengthening organic food consumption in Madurai City.