Effects of Debt Finance on Financial Performance of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

This study was inspired by the persistent poor performance of Nigerian Deposit Money Institutions, which in turn affects the return on investment available to capital providers. It concentrated on debt financing and return on investment for businesses that transfer money from economic sectors with surpluses to those with deficits. The study examines how both total debt-to-total assets and long-term debt-to-total assets influence the return on assets of Nigerian listed deposit money banks. The audited financial accounts of eleven (11) of the fourteen (14) DMBs that make up the study population over ten years (2014 2023) served as the secondary data for the study. The Trade-Off Theory serves as the foundation for the study, which used a correlational research approach. The panel data used in the study were analysed using STATA 14, and several regression models were applied. The results from the Random Effect Regression model for the 110 observations were examined. The results showed that whereas long-term debt to total assets (LTDTA) has a considerable and positive impact on ROA, total debt to total assets (TDTA) has an adverse but significant effect. The study's findings showed that debt financing has a 26 percent impact on the ROA of listed DMBs in Nigeria, with long-term debt accounting for the remaining 74 percent. The study recommends that DMBs should use debt more prudently to prevent debt traps that could jeopardise their ability to continue operating in the event of default.