Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with rental income yield. This growing interest reflects the recognition that real estate investment trusts (reits) does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.

Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on real estate investment trusts (reits), there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with rental income yield, particularly within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about real estate investment trusts (reits) without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect rental income yield. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) on rental income yield in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which real estate investment trusts (reits) influences rental income yield within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with real estate investment trusts (reits) in relation to rental income yield.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing real estate investment trusts (reits) in order to improve rental income yield.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of real estate investment trusts (reits) on rental income yield in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does real estate investment trusts (reits) influence rental income yield within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with real estate investment trusts (reits) in relation to rental income yield?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize real estate investment trusts (reits) in order to improve rental income yield?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around rental income yield. For managers and practitioners within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how real estate investment trusts (reits) can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on estate management by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how real estate investment trusts (reits) relates to rental income yield within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.