EFFECTIVENESS OF CREDIT GUIDELINES AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MONETARY POLICY IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

          The credit guidelines are those monetary policy instrument used by the monetary authorities particularly the Central Bank to influence the supply, allocation and cost of credit with view to attaining specific macro-economic objectives in the country. It is a deliberate measures aimed at controlling the qualitative supply of money. Some of the goals are directed towards steering and maintaining the economy at its full potential output to attain full employment, to achieve a balance of payment equilibrium and to moderate inflationary pressures.

          The objectives of the study includes the examination of credit guidelines, to identify factors militating against the realization of the guidelines, to evaluate the Central Bank’s method of compliances, to identify areas of frictions (if any) between the CBN and the government and to make recommendation for the effective improvement of the policy guidelines.

          Using the correlation analysts and chi-square distribution, four hypothesis listed below were tested.

i.             The effectiveness of monetary and credit policy in credit guidelines in Nigeria economy

ii.            CBN is autonomous in the real sense of it.

iii.           Some banks violate some of the guidelines in preference to paying fines.

iv.           CBN encounter problems while ensuring compliances by banks and other financial institutions.

Source of data used included primary and secondary sources. Primary data involved interviews and use of questionnaires while the secondary data were sourced from the CBN library, literature in the field of economics, banking and finance.

Recommendation and conclusion were based on find lasting solution to improve the operation of the credit guidelines in Nigeria.