Assessment of Organisational Learning Culture and Innovation Capacity in Nigerian Commercial Banks

Organisational learning culture underpins innovation capacity, and its professional assessment in Nigerian commercial banks provides insights for building the adaptive capabilities needed in a rapidly disrupted financial services sector. This study assessed organisational learning culture dimensions and their relationship with innovation capacity across eight commercial banks operating nationally in Nigeria, with data collected from 320 employees across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano branch networks. Learning culture was assessed using the Dimensions of the Learning Organisation Questionnaire (DLOQ), covering continuous learning, inquiry and dialogue, team learning, embedded systems, empowerment, system connection, and strategic leadership for learning. Innovation capacity was measured by new product launch frequency, process improvement initiatives per quarter, and digital feature adoption speed. Structural equation modelling was employed. Results showed that strategic leadership for learning was the most significant predictor of innovation capacity (standardised coefficient = 0.52, p < 0.001), indicating that top management commitment drives bank-wide innovation. Team learning had a significant effect on process improvement frequency (coefficient = 0.44, p < 0.001). Embedded systems for knowledge sharing were positively associated with digital feature adoption speed (coefficient = 0.38, p < 0.01). Banks scoring in the top quartile on DLOQ launched 2.8 times more new digital products per year than bottom quartile banks. The study concludes that strategic leadership commitment to learning is the most impactful investment for building innovation capacity in Nigerian commercial banking. Keywords: organisational learning, innovation capacity, commercial banks, DLOQ, Nigeria