CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Today’s business environment is very dynamic and undergoes rapid changes as a result of technological innovation, increased awareness and demands from customers. Business organizations, especially the banking industry of the 21st century operates in a complex and competitive environment characterized by these changing conditions and highly unpredictable economic climate. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is at the centre of this global change curve.

Laudon and Laudon, (2001) contend that managers cannot ignore Information Systems because they play a critical role in contemporary organisation. They point out that the entire cash flow of most fortune 500 companies is linked to Information System. The application of information and communication technology concepts, techniques, policies and implementation strategies to banking services has become a subject of fundamental importance and concerns to all banks and indeed a prerequisite for local and global competitiveness. ICT directly affects how managers decide, how they plan and what products and services are offered in the banking industry. It has continued to change the way banks and their corporate relationships are organized worldwide and the variety of innovative devices available to enhance the speed and quality of service delivery.

Harold and Jeff (2005) contend that financial service providers should modify their traditional operating practices to remain viable in the 2000s and the decades that follow. They claim that the most significant shortcoming in the banking industry today is a wide spread failure on the part of senior management in banks to grasp the importance of technology and incorporate it into their strategic plans accordingly.

Woherem (2000) claimed that only banks that overhaul the whole of their payment and delivery systems and apply ICT to their operations are likely to survive and prosper in the new millennium. He advices banks to re-examine their service and delivery systems in order to properly position them within the framework of the dictates of the dynamism of information and communication technology. The banking industry in Nigeria has witnessed tremendous changes linked with the developments in ICT over the years. The quest for survival, global relevance, maintenance of existing market share and sustainable development has made exploitation of the many advantages of ICT through the use of automated devices imperative in the industry.

It is globally belief that the computers are able to provide useful information if properly fed with a reasonable input or it will result in “Garbage in Garbage out”. The use of computer to carry out a very wide range of activities for work, study and leisure has become part of our everyday life. It is no longer something that you may want to use if you are interested; rather like motor car it is an essential part of our lives. We are constantly told that anyone can use a computer, and to some extent this is true. As we became more and more upon technology this will not be enough. Computer in commercial and industrial settings have been around for several decades, nothing new about that. What is new however is the availability of computing power at modest cost to managers and workers throughout business organization and banking industries?

However, in the banking industry computer has been used in various areas carrying out their day-to day activities. Thanks for the introduction of micro computers, the power to retrieve and process data no longer belongs exclusively to computer specialist.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The computer has for many years been used for financial planning in Nigeria banks.  Information is required to complete every step involved in planning both objective definition and target decision, forecasting, calculating planning gaps definition constraints and means and so lack of computer may result to inability to satisfy costumers which might lead to retrenchment of customers. Lack of competent personnel may also be another challenge the banking sector might be facing. For any banking sector, the all ICT personnel must extremely b qualified to achieve maximum customer’s satisfaction. Finally, several researches have been carried out impact of computerization in the banking industry, but not even a single research has been carried out on the impact of computerization in banking sector.

1.3   AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The main aim of the study is to determine the impact of computerization in banking sector. Other specific objectives of the study include:

1.          to determine the effect of computerization in the banking sector of Nigeria.

2.          to determine the extent to which computerization affects the banking services.

3.          to determine the effect of computerized banking towards future development in the banking industry with an eye in the direction of improving its competitive position.

4.          to determine the factors affecting computerization in banking sector in Nigeria.

5.          to proffer possible solution to the problems.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.          What is the effect of computerization in the banking sector of Nigeria?

2.          What is the extent to which computerization affects banking services in Nigeria?

3.          What is the effect of computerized banking towards future development in the banking industry with an eye in the direction of improving its competitive position?

4.          What is the factors affecting computerization in the banking sector in Nigeria?

5.          What is the possible solution to the problems?

1.5   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0:    Computerisation has no significant effect on the performance of the banking sector of Nigeria.

H1:      Computerisation has a significant effect on the performance of the banking sector of Nigeria.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on the impact of computerisation in the banking sector will be of immense benefit to the united bank for Africa in the sense that it will help to identify the drawback and also solve the Nigeria errors in supplying rightful information concerning banking service. Depositors will also benefit from it, in that they will certainly know that computerized banks will not waste much of his her time like manual operated banks. Finally, the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and provide the basis for further research.  

1.7   SCOPE OF STUDY

The study on the impact of computerisation in banking sector is limited to commercial bank in Abuja, UBA.

1.8   LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.9   DEFINITION OF TERMS

ImpactThe action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.

ComputerisationInvolves the process of taking activities or tasks not previously done on the computer and shifting them to being done on the computer.

Banking Sector       Is the section of the economy devoted to the holding of financial assets for others, investing those financial assets as leverage to create more wealth and the regulation of those activities by government agencies.

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