Inflation and Growth Nexus in Nigeria: An Investigation into the Simultaneous Relationship (Published)
The relationship between inflation and economic growth remains an unresolved debate in empirical research. Its relevance in understanding growth behavior however remains pertinent. It is in this light that this study seeks to understand inflation and growth nexus in Nigeria. The study employs a two stage least square estimation to examine a simultaneous equation model with data from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and World Bank Indicators. The study shows that inflation is beneficial to growth though not significantly while growth is significantly beneficial to inflation; given the positive relationship between inflation and growth and the negative relationship between growth and inflation. The results further show that Money supply and trade openness are significant determinants of real GDP for all three estimation techniques under consideration. While, real GDP, money supply and interest rate are significant determinants of inflation. The study therefore recommends that inflation be controlled to have its optimal effect on output while production be diversified to optimize its effect on inflation.
Keywords: Inflation, Nigeria, Simultaneous Relationship, economic growth