Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Unclaimed Dividends Management has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with financial inclusion of rural dwellers. This growing interest reflects the recognition that unclaimed dividends management does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States.

Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States 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

While unclaimed dividends management is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on financial inclusion of rural dwellers within Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to unclaimed dividends management are helping or hindering financial inclusion of rural dwellers — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Unclaimed Dividends Management on financial inclusion of rural dwellers in Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States.
2. To assess the extent to which unclaimed dividends management influences financial inclusion of rural dwellers within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with unclaimed dividends management in relation to financial inclusion of rural dwellers.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing unclaimed dividends management in order to improve financial inclusion of rural dwellers.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of unclaimed dividends management on financial inclusion of rural dwellers in Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States?
2. To what extent does unclaimed dividends management influence financial inclusion of rural dwellers within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with unclaimed dividends management in relation to financial inclusion of rural dwellers?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize unclaimed dividends management in order to improve financial inclusion of rural dwellers?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of finance / banking, this study has practical value for management teams within Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States seeking to understand how unclaimed dividends management translates into measurable outcomes around financial inclusion of rural dwellers. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Nigeria and Selected ECOWAS Member States, focusing specifically on how unclaimed dividends management relates to financial inclusion of rural dwellers within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.