Skip to main content

Corporate Governance Breach: An Overview of the Owner-Manager Agency Problem in the Nigerian Banking Industry

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Corporate Governance

Abstract

The effects of a breakdown in the principal/agent relationship in the Nigerian financial services industry, especially in the banking sector, cannot be overemphasized. The required alert is due to the fact that this type of industry requires that there must be trust between the principal and the agent who is making decisions on behalf of the principal’s financial investment in the business environment. This paper analyses the agency problem that surfaced in the Nigerian banking sector, following the recapitalization exercise that took place in the industry in 2006. The study found that, to a large extent, the breakdown in the corporate governance code was a major cause of the crisis. The paper also examines the various ways the regulatory agencies responded to the problem and the measures that are being instituted to forestall a reoccurrence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahunwan, B. (2002). Corporate governance in Nigeria. Journal of Business Ethics, 37, 269–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Faki, M. (2006). Transparency and corporate governance for capital market development in Africa: The Nigerian case study. Securities Market Journal, 4, 9–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andres, P., & Vallelado, E. (2008). Corporate governance in banking; The role of the board of directors. Journal of Banking and Finance, 32, 2570–2580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arun, T. G., & Turner, J. D. (2003). Corporate governance of banks in developing economies-concepts and issues. University of Manchester, School of Environment and Development, Policy Working Paper No 2/2003. Retrieved from http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/publications/wp/depp/depp_wp02.pdf

  • Boatright, J. R. (2008). Ethics in finance. Malden: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cadbury, A. (1992). Codes of best practice. Report from the Committee on Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance. London: Gee Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Central Bank of Nigeria. (2006). Code of corporate governance for banks in Nigeria post consolidation. Abuja: Central Bank of Nigeria, www.cenbank.org/out/Publications/bsd/2006/corp.Govpost%20con.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Court Freezes Ibru’s N399bn Assets. (2010, January 22). This Dayonline.com. Accessed 16 Mar 2010

    Google Scholar 

  • Denis, D. J., Denis, D. K., & Sarin, A. (1997). Agency problems, equity ownership, and corporate diversification. Journal of Finance, 52(2), 135–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillan, S. L., & Starks, L. T. (2000). Corporate governance proposals and shareholder activism: The role of institutional investors. Journal of Financial Economics, 57, 275–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harri, M., & Raviv, A. (1990). Capital structure and informational role of debt. Journal of Finance, 45, 321–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Himmelberg, C. P., Hubbard, R. G., & Palia, D. (1999). Understanding the determinants of ownership and the link between ownership and performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 53(2), 353–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm, managerial behaviour agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kajola, S. O. (2008). Corporate governance and firm performance: The case of Nigerian listed firms. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 14, 16–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • McColgan, P. (2001). Agency theory and corporate governance: A review of the literature from a UK perspective. Working Paper, Department of Accounting & Finance, Glasgow, University of Strathclyde.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muhammad, A. A., & Muhamad, M. (2007). Agency problems in Mue-Rabah financing: The case of Sharia (Rural Banks) in Indonesia. IIUM Journal of Economics and Management, 15(2), 219–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Obi, I. (2009, May 19). In pursuit of sound corporate governance. Business day Newspaper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogbechie, C., & Koufopoulos, D. N. (2007). Corporate governance practices in publicly quoted companies in Nigeria. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 3(4), 350–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okeahalam, C. C., & Akinboade, O. A. (2003). A review of corporate governance in Africa: Literature, issues and challenges. Paper presented at the Global Corporate Governance Forum, 15, June 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyejide, A. T., & Soyibo, A. (2001, January 29–30). Corporate governance in Nigeria. Paper presented at the conference on corporate governance, Accra.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, J. W., & Zeckhauser, R. J. (1985). Principals and agents: The structure of business. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanda, A. U., Mukaila, A. S., & Garba, T. (2005). Corporate governance mechanisms and firm financial performance in Nigeria (AERC Research Paper, 149). African Economic Research Consortium, Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanusi, L. S. (2010, February 26). The banking industry: What went wrong and the way forward. A convocation lecture delivered by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor at the Convocation Square, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shleifer, A., & Vishny, R. W. (1997). A survey of corporate governance. The Journal of Finance, 52(2), 737–783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stliglitz, E. J. (1992). Principal and agent. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Money and Finance, 2, 185–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, I. (2006). Regulatory and institutional challenges of corporate governance in Nigeria, post banking consolidation. Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) Economic Indicator, 12(2), 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abubakar Sadiq Kasum .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kasum, A.S., Etudaiye-Muthar, O.F. (2014). Corporate Governance Breach: An Overview of the Owner-Manager Agency Problem in the Nigerian Banking Industry. In: Idowu, S., Çaliyurt, K. (eds) Corporate Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45167-6_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics