Fiscal Policy Tools and Economic Growth in Nigeria

Researchers have come up with varying opinions on the impact of fiscal policy tools on the economic growth of many nations. While some are of the view that fiscal policy tools have positive relationship with economic growth, others posit that it has a negative impact while a third group are of the opinion that its impact could either be positive or negative depending on how it is harnessed with other macro-economic variables and yet a fourth school of thought has emerged. They are of the opinion that fiscal policy tools could have a little but not significant impact on the economic growth of any given nation. Thus this study is set to lend its voice and opinion on this discuss with emphasis on the Nigerian economy using a time series data for the period 1999-2020. The data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Square method and a Vector Auto regression Analysis. In the model, Real GDP (taken as dependent variable) was regressed on tax revenues, capital and recurrent expenditures. Other independent variables include deficit financing, external and domestic debts. Findings of study indicate that in the short run, deficit financing, domestic debt and recurrent expenditures all had significant positive relationship with economic growth in Nigeria; while there exists a significant negative relationship between external debts and real GDP. Capital expenditure and tax revenues did not have a significant relationship with economic growth in Nigeria in the short run. In the long run, the earlier outcomes fizzled out as only the lagged value of RGDP, taken as an explanatory variable was found to be positively significant. From the foregoing analysis, it was established that fiscal policy tools did not sustain a significant relationship with economic growth in Nigeria in the long run, thus pitching our tent with the fourth school of thought. Fiscal policy tools are not enough to pilot the economic ship of Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that government should use fiscal policy instruments to complement its sister strategy – the monetary policy tools to promote stability in the Nigerian economy. A good mix of fiscal and monetary policy tools could help in the formulation and implementation of sound economic policies; the impact of which will be appreciated from the standpoint of how rapidly and effectively it fosters, innovates or facilitates economic growth in Nigeria.