EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF FINTECH INTEGRATION ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION AMONG DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN KANO METROPOLIS: A DYNAMIC CAPABILITY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The influence of FinTech integration on financial inclusion among Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria, is examined in this research. The study used a quantitative research approach and collected data from 376 banking professionals in 8 DMBs using a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression and the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4 were used to analyze the data. The study's conclusions suggest that while mobile banking and digital payments have large bivariate associations with financial inclusion, they don't have any notable distinctive impacts in the integrated multivariate model. In the meanwhile, trust and cybersecurity were shown to be the most important factors influencing financial inclusion, accounting for 89.3% of the variation (f2 = 0.691). In the integrated model, agency banking and digital credit continued to have a major beneficial influence. The findings imply that a comprehensive, trust-based ecosystem—rather than discrete technological features—is what propels financial inclusion. In order to improve equitable financial access, the report advises banks to give cybersecurity and integrated Fintech ecosystems top priority.