Effects of Government Expenditure on Private Investment in Nigerian Economy (1980–2016)

This study examined the effect of government expenditure on private investment in Nigeria during the period 1980–2016. The error correction model analysis was used in the study to analyze the relationship between the two variables. The study found that there is a long-run relationship among the variables and that the interest rate and inflation have negative but significant impact on private investment in the long run. On the other hand, government expenditure has positive but insignificant impact on private investment in the long run. In the short run, government expenditure and interest rate have a significant positive impact on private investment in Nigeria, while GDP per capita and inflation negatively impact private investment. The study concluded that there is the need for the government to increase its expenditure particularly on the provision of more infrastructural facilities as this will attract more investment from within and outside the country