Adegbola Olubukola Otekunrin

This study examined the performance of selected quoted deposit banks of Nigeria and liquidity management. Secondary data used was extracted from the financial statements of 15 money deposit banks out of population of 17 deposit money banks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for 2012–2017 (six years). The descriptive research design was used. The data collected was analyzed using ordinary least square method (OLS). Liquidity management was measured using capital ratio (CTR), current ratio (CR) and cash ratio (CSR), while performance was measured using return on assets (ROA). Based on the results of the study, liquidity management proxied by capital ratio, current ratio and cash ratio and performance of the firm proxied by return on assets are positively related. The result shows that liquidity management is an essential factor in business operations and consequently leads to business profitability. Hence proper liquidity management helps solve the agency theory problem of agency costs that arise when control of companies is separated from the ownership, whereby managers are able to employ the firm’s resources for personal gains instead of maximizing the value of the firm or the shareholders’ wealth. The value of the firm and the shareholders’ wealth can be maximized through the firm’s profitability via effective and efficient liquidity management.

This study examined how electronic tax system (E- tax system) reduces tax evasion in Nigeria. The survey sample was drawn from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) staff and small and medium-scale enterprise taxpayers registered in F.C.T., Abuja, Nigeria. Primary data was derived from a questionnaire administered to a population of 60 officials and employees of the FIRS and taxpayers at a small and medium-scale enterprise registered in F.C.T., Abuja, Nigeria. The secondary data used was extracted from the tax revenue collection report on the FIRS platform for 2000–2019 (20 years). The conclusive research design was used. General linear model and linear regression were used to analyze the data collected. The E-tax system was measured using actual tax revenues and the level of electronic tax services. In contrast, tax evasion was measured using tax compliance and mind-set of taxpayers towards E-tax system. Taxpayers’ attitudes towards E-tax system, actual tax revenue, tax compliance and the level of electronic tax services were used as mediating and control variables; thus, results established a significant relationship, and this relationship is an adverse one. The work shows that an effective electronic tax system will significantly reduce tax evasion. Therefore, the proper implementation of the electronic tax system helps mitigate the problem of tax evasion that causes economic and social detriments in the tax administration system.

Microfinance banks were set up to provide financial services to poor people to reduce the rate of poverty and improve the quality of living in the country. As such, this study ascertained the effect of microfinance banks on the economic development of Nigeria. Secondary data were obtained from the CBN Bulletin and records of the National Population Commission from 1996 to 2019. The study used Vector Autoregressive (VAR) estimates to test the effect of the independent variables (microfinance banks’ total loans and advances, total investments, and total deposits) on the dependent variable (per capita income). Johansen Co-integration results showed a relationship between microfinance banks and Nigeria’s economic development in the long run. The VAR results show that the activities of microfinance banks have a positive but insignificant effect on Nigeria’s economic development in the short term. Microfinance banks have not done well in their intermediation function to positively and significantly affect economic development, especially reducing the poverty rate, unemployment rate, and improving living standards, among other macroeconomic development indices in the short run. The study recommends that microfinance banks will help to improve the standard of living in the country by granting more credits to rural dwellers through the creation of corporative societies, age grades, and unions that are predominant in rural areas.

Acknowledgment
We are grateful to all researchers who contributed to this paper.

This paper aimed to empirically examine the extent to which capital structure impacts the profitability of Nigerian Deposit Money Banks considering the profitability of eight Nigerian Deposit Money Banks from 2003 to 2018 (16 years). A descriptive research design was adopted for this study, and data were analyzed using regression. The study used secondary data obtained from published annual reports of selected Nigerian Deposit Money Banks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for four years (2003–2018). The study concluded that the indicators used to measure capital structure (debt-equity ratio and leverage ratio) and profitability (returns on equity) had a negative relationship. This means that the use of debts mixed with equity (debt-equity ratio and leverage ratio) in improper proportion as financing methods can negatively affect profitability. Hence, there is a need to identify the optimal mix of capital structure (debts mixed with equity) that maximizes profitability, as well as firm and shareholder value with minimum agency costs as suggested by the trade-off theory and agency theory, respectively. The alternative is to give preference to retained earnings (internal source of finance) as funding source.

Acknowledgment
All researchers and non-researchers that contributed to this paper are highly appreciated.

This study examined the impact of working capital management on the profitability of selected quoted agricultural and agro-allied companies (from 2012 to 2016) in Nigeria. Secondary data were extracted from eighteen quoted agricultural and agro-allied companies in Nigeria, four of which are agricultural companies out of the twenty-three in Nigeria. Descriptive research design and regression analysis were used. Working capital management was measured using the trade receivables collection period, trade payables, payment period, inventory turnover period, and cash conversion cycle, while profit before interest and tax measured profitability. This study found that working capital management and profitability are related to the agriculture and agro-allied sector in Nigeria. The result shows the trade receivables collection period and profitability are negatively related. The result also shows the trade payables payment period and profitability are positively related. The result shows that the inventory turnover period and profitability are related, the cash conversion cycle and profitability are positively related. The conclusion is that working capital management and profitability are related. If the management of firms takes efficient and effective decisions in managing the company’s working capital, all things being equal, the maximization of the firm’s profitability, value, and shareholders’ wealth can be guaranteed. Consequently, agency costs asserted by agency theory would be eliminated automatically.

Acknowledgment
All researchers and non-researchers that contributed to this paper are highly appreciated.