Value Creation through Public Debt and Economic Growth of Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the effect of value creation through public debt on economic growth in Nigeria between 1986 and 2016 using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL). The variables used in the study are a real gross domestic product, internal debt, external debt and Total debt service of Nigeria. They were tested for stationarity using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Philip Perron test. The result showed that the variables are stationary at first differencing. Co-integration test was also performed and the result revealed the presence of co-integration between public debt and economic growth. The co-integration results show that public debt and economic growth have long run relationship. The findings of the ARDL model via short run model result and long-run model result between public debt and economic growth in Nigeria is that in the short run external debt and internal debt are negatively related to the real gross domestic product but has effect on the economic growth, external debt is negatively related but has no effect to the economic growth. Whereas in the long run model, internal debt and debt service are also negatively related to the real gross domestic product but significant to the economic growth, external debt is positively related but has no effect to the economic growth. The study concluded that public debt and economic growth have long-run relationship, and they are positively related if the government will create the value that citizens desired by being sincere with the loan obtained and use it for the development of the economy rather than channel the funds to their personal benefit.