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This paper investigates the effect of abnormal increase in credit supply on economic growth in Nigeria after controlling for the quality of the legal system, size of central bank asset, banking sector cost efficiency and bank insolvency risk.

The authors employ the generalised method of moments (GMM) regression methodology to estimate the effect of abnormal increase in credit supply on two measures of economic growth in Nigeria.

The abnormal increase in credit supply has a significant effect on economic growth. Abnormal increase in credit supply increases real gross domestic product (GDP) growth. The abnormal increase in credit supply decreases real GDP per capita during the global financial crisis. The abnormal increase in domestic credit to the private sector has a significant positive effect on GDP per capita when there is strong legal system quality in Nigeria. In contrast, the abnormal increase in domestic credit to the private sector has a significant negative effect on real GDP growth when there is strong legal system quality in Nigeria.

The abnormal increase in credit supply is ineffective in increasing GDP per capita during crisis years. Policymakers should be cautious in pressuring financial institutions to release an abnormally large amount of credit into the economy particularly during financial crises. Rather, policymakers should encourage financial institutions to supply credit in a sustained manner – not in an abnormal manner –and in a way that supports growth.

The present study contributes to the literature by analysing the effect of abnormal increase in credit supply on economic growth in a developing country context.

Despite the criticality of financial inclusion, population growth and energy intensity in shaping production and consumption, economic and environmental sustainability, less attention has been directed to their collective and integrating role as pathways to sustainable development. This study therefore examines the critical link between financial inclusion and sustainable development in Nigeria, taking into account the role of population growth and energy intensity.

The study employs the Kernelized regularized least squares (KRLS) machine learning approach and Granger causality test to investigate the pathways of financial inclusion, population growth and energy intensity on sustainable development.

Financial inclusion path to sustainable development is not statistically significant. This is because the potential of financial inclusion are eclipsed by broader economic problems Population growth and energy intensity have significant dampening effects on sustainable development. These results have broad ramifications for environmental sustainability and macroeconomic strategies to Nigeria’s quest for achieving sustainable development.

Policies such as improvement of financial literacy and development of responsible financial behavior among the underserved populations can enhance the role of financial inclusion in sustainable development. Similarly, investment in education and human capital development, and adoption of renewable energy technologies can mitigate the effects of population growth and energy intensity.

The present study focuses on the pathway of financial inclusion to sustainable development, taking into account key variables of population growth and energy intensity.

The long-term trend of sustained growth of tourism travel and activities, that has characterised the last decades, was forced to an abrupt halt at the beginning of 2020. This was due to the regulations that restricted mobility and tourism activities in many countries as a response to the hazard to health caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the various possible scenarios proposed by the UNWTO and by other international organisations, the worst one characterised the decline of travel and tourism in 2020, with the exception of a short-lived increase in the summer months, mainly due to domestic tourism. This sector was the hardest hit by this pandemic emergency, requiring a response both by policy makers and by private organisations.

The present chapter provides a survey of the effects of the COVID-19 on the tourism market in the various world regions, pinpointing the similarities and heterogeneities among them. Moreover, it summarises the policy responses and the private schemes that have aimed at tackling this emergency. The analysis will consider both the initiatives related to travel and tourism demand and those addressed to the supply side of the market, assessing their likely long-term outcomes. Finally, it will discuss the future of tourism travel and the potential impact of COVID on that future.