Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Deposit Mobilization has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with financial inclusion of rural dwellers. This growing interest reflects the recognition that deposit mobilization does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria.

Selected Deposit Money 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 deposit mobilization, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with financial inclusion of rural dwellers, particularly within Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about deposit mobilization without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect financial inclusion of rural dwellers. 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 Deposit Mobilization on financial inclusion of rural dwellers in Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which deposit mobilization influences financial inclusion of rural dwellers within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with deposit mobilization in relation to financial inclusion of rural dwellers.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing deposit mobilization in order to improve financial inclusion of rural dwellers.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of deposit mobilization on financial inclusion of rural dwellers in Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does deposit mobilization influence financial inclusion of rural dwellers within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with deposit mobilization in relation to financial inclusion of rural dwellers?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize deposit mobilization in order to improve financial inclusion of rural dwellers?

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 financial inclusion of rural dwellers. For managers and practitioners within Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how deposit mobilization can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on finance / banking 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 Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how deposit mobilization 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.