DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS AND PERFORMANCE OF NON-OIL EXPORTING SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Banks in developed countries provide critical resources and support that enable non-oil exporting firms to innovate, expand market reach, mitigate risk, and enhance competitiveness on a global scale. This study reviews the roles of deposit money banks in supporting non-oil exporting firms in Nigeria.

The study adopted a systematic review approach, drawing on 382 empirical peer-reviewed articles downloaded from major academic databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. Additional searches were conducted using Google Scholar and ResearchGate to ensure comprehensive coverage. Evidence synthesized from the reviewed studies reveals that deposit money banks have positively contributed to the growth of non-oil exports in Nigeria, although financial institutions still possess the capacity to significantly enhance the scale and quality of non-oil export growth.

Based on the findings, the study recommends that the government should provide long-term, low-cost on-lending funding and enact relevant policies that encourage, de-risk, and incentivize banks to lend more to non-oil exporting firms. The findings have important implications for regulators and promoters of non-oil export businesses, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, the Nigeria Export and Import Bank, commercial banks, inspection agents, and exporting firms, highlighting the collaborative roles they must play to improve non-oil export performance.