Financial Development and the Quality of the Environment in Nigeria: An Application of Non-Linear ARLD Approach

Abstract

The present study examines the asymmetric effect of financial development on the quality of environment in Nigeria from 1970 to 2018. The study employed the techniques of non-linear ARDL approach as well as Diks and Panchenko (2006) non-linear test of causality. A comprehensive index of financial development is constructed using PCA. The empirical outcomes of the study reveal that financial development in Nigeria impedes the quality of the environment. The government should encourage lenders to ease the funding for the energy sector and allocate financial resources for environment-friendly businesses rather than wasting them in consumer financing. Moreover, economic growth and FDI are positively and significantly related to carbon emissions. On this basis, the government should introduce environmentally friendly technologies that will help improve the quality of the environment, increase long-term sustainability, and save resources for generations to come. A key policy consequence of this study is also that the FDI inflow to pollution-intensive industries should be closely monitored.