Effect of Financial Innovation on Economic Growth: Evidence from African Countries

Abstract

Financial innovation is a product of technology and the question whether financial innovation spurs economic growth is subject to level of technology in the financial sector of an economy as well as other factors. On this note, this study examines the impact of process financial innovation on economic growth in some selected African countries. The study used annual panel data obtained from the World Bank Development Indicator comprising of seventeen cross section countries covering the period of fifteen years from 2004 to 2018. Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) was employed to analyze the panel data system. The result shows that financial innovation has significant impact on economic growth of selected countries. Automated Teller Machine (ATM) which is a major measure of our process financial innovation has significant impact on economic growth. Number of Bank branches on the other hand has positive but insignificant impact on the economic growth. Financial innovative products such a domestic bank credit also contributes significantly to the economic growth of African countries. It is therefore recommended that policy makers should encourage establishment of more ATM terminals, increase the number of bank branches and improve the credit to private sector of the economy.