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Why Do African Banks Lend So Little?

Author

Listed:
  • Svetlana Andrianova
  • Badi Baltagi
  • Panicos Demetriades
  • David Fielding

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="obes12067-abs-0001"> We put forward a plausible explanation of African banking sector under-development in the form of a bad credit market equilibrium. Using an appropriately modified Industrial Organization model of banking, we show that the root of the problem could be unchecked moral hazard (strategic loan defaults) or adverse selection (a lack of good projects). Applying a dynamic panel estimator to a large sample of African banks, we show that loan defaults are a major factor inhibiting bank lending when institutional quality is low. We also find that once a threshold level of institutional quality has been reached, improvements in the default rate or institutional quality do not matter. This provides support for our theoretical predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Svetlana Andrianova & Badi Baltagi & Panicos Demetriades & David Fielding, 2015. "Why Do African Banks Lend So Little?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 77(3), pages 339-359, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:obuest:v:77:y:2015:i:3:p:339-359
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/obes.2015.77.issue-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Mutarindwa, Samuel & Schäfer, Dorothea & Stephan, Andreas, 2020. "Central banks' supervisory guidance on corporate governance and bank stability: Evidence from African countries," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    2. Peter W. Muriu, 2021. "Does the Quality of Institutions Matter for Financial Inclusion? Cross Country Evidence," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(7), pages 1-27, June.
    3. Svetlana Andrianova & Badi H. Baltagi & Panicos Demetriades & David Fielding, 2017. "Ethnic Fractionalization, Governance and Loan Defaults in Africa," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 79(4), pages 435-462, August.
    4. Samuel Fosu & Albert Danso & Henry Agyei‐Boapeah & Collins G. Ntim, 2021. "Credit information sharing and bank loan pricing: Do concentration and governance matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 5884-5911, October.
    5. Bezemer, Dirk & Samarina, Anna & Zhang, Lu, 2017. "The Shift in Bank Credit Allocation: New Data and New Findings," Research Report 17012-GEM, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    6. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Internal capital market practices of multinational banks evidence from South Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87528, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Arup Bose & Debashis Pal & David E. M. Sappington, 2014. "The impact of public ownership in the lending sector," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(4), pages 1282-1311, November.
    8. Samuel Fosu & Albert Danso & Henry Agyei-Boapeah & Collins G. Ntim & Emmanuel Adegbite, 2020. "Credit information sharing and loan default in developing countries: the moderating effect of banking market concentration and national governance quality," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 55-103, July.
    9. Bose, Arup & Pal, Debashis & Sappington, David E.M., 2012. "Extreme screening policies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(8), pages 1607-1620.
    10. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Performance of foreign banks in developing countries: evidence from sub-Saharan African banking markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86368, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Douglas A. Adu, 2024. "How do board and ownership characteristics affect bank risk-taking? New evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(3), pages 209-233, September.
    12. Blessing Chipanda & Matthew Clance & Steven F. Koch, 2020. "Technological Trade Composition and Performance in African Countries," Working Papers 202057, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    13. Yosra Mnif & Imen Slimi, 2023. "Former auditors on the audit committee and earnings management: Evidence from African banks," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2383-2420, June.
    14. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Performance of foreign banks in developing countries: Evidence from sub-Saharan African banking markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 292-311.
    15. Svetlana Andrianova & Panicos O. Demetriades, 2018. "Financial Development and Financial Fragility: Two Sides of the Same Coin?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 60(1), pages 54-68, March.
    16. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Internal capital market practices of multinational banks evidence from south africa," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 131-145.
    17. Thaer Alhalabi & Vitor Castro & Justine Wood, 2023. "The relationship between excessive lending, risk premium and risk‐taking: Evidence from European banks," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(1), pages 448-471, January.
    18. Samuel Mutarindwa & Dorothea Schäfer & Andreas Stephan, 2018. "The Impact of Institutions on Bank Governance and Stability: Evidence from African Countries," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1739, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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