Financial Development and Income Inequality in Nigeria: Testing the Financial Kuznets Curve Hypothesis

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the link between financial development and income inequality in Nigeria, considering the potential existence of a financial Kuznets curve in Nigeria from 1986 to 2022. The study uses datasets from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Database. It employs the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), Phillips-Perron (PP), Zivot-Andrews (ZA), ARDL bounds testing approach, and the Toda-Yamamoto causality test to determine the direction of causality between the two variables. The study finds evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between financial development and income inequality, potentially supporting the Financial Kuznets curve hypothesis in Nigeria. Additionally, the results of the Toda-Yamamoto causality test show a unidirectional causality running from financial development to income inequality. The findings have significant implications for economic development and social stability in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for targeted policies to mitigate the potential adverse effects of financial development on income inequality. This study fills a gap in existing research by examining the financial Kuznets curve in Nigeria and accounting for structural breaks, thus contributing valuable insights to the ongoing debate on finance and inequality.