THE EFFECT OF COMPUTER SYSTEM IN NIGERIA BANKS (A CASE STUDY OF FIRST BANK OF NIG. OKPARA AVENUE ENUGU)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC (FBN)

          Banking services in Nigeria dates as far back as 1892, when the African banking co-operation was established. In 1894, the banks were amalgamated by British bank of West African when the latter was established in Nigeria. It is this same British bank of the West Africa (BBWA) that has grows in dimension and dynamission, changing and its organizational name relatively to such sources of change and following government directives. It grows from British bank for Africa to standard bank of Nigeria (SBN) and currently known as the First bank of Nigeria Plc (FBN) Plc.

In fantasy, one is tempted to think that the new name of the bank symbolizes the chronological position it occupies in banking industry in Nigeria. First bank in Nigeria that have introduced the use of computer into its banking systems.

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A computer is electronic devices, which store on magnetic layer, diskette, hard disk etc. analyze and produce information as required from the data on them.

Computer operators at an electronic speed and logic. It can perform large repetitive and complex, calculation with utmost accuracy and at astonishing speeds. For centuries, record keeping has been manual, mechanical and develop through the age of machine assisted into the resent day computer age in which we are in.

The computer is our advanced technological innovation, which has evolved as product of our modern society and it is a modern age tool ion management.

Although the computer is a “ child of our modern day society”. Many people approached the subject with apprehension and in certain cases developed absolute fear for this device, the reasons for all these are obvious. The computer came upon the whole world so quickly and it is sure now to affect our various lives in so many different ways. This coupled with the general lack of knowledge of what computer is, given rise to a way of anti-computer feeling.

The application of computer in Nigeria is a very recent phenomenon. Its use in the business sector in Nigeria economy is also very new and has not bee fully integrated into business sector. Bank on the other hand has been the essence of this device in trying to actually carry out its function on the economy, and have now started brining in the computer into various financial services offered to its  customers.

Manual keeping of information and manual processing of data/ accounts of the customers is extremely slow and cannot cope with the increase sophistication of customers demand and volumes of transaction this modern time. It has been said that the horse was replace by motor vehicle not because it is that much more convenient, but because the horse has become inefficient from the economics view point.  For instance, if a manual operator which involves the processing of information on three thousand salaried people, the cost involved in this type of operation in numerous viz, personal cost, retirement, scheduling cost etc.

The enters the computer. The computer would not involve much cost rather it will perform the work more speedily than a manual operation.

Computer system has played some major role in the Nigeria banking sector, but it is still a very recent development and are not making adequate effect in the banking industry because not all banks in Nigeria have actually gone computerized. Those which have gone into computerization, have only certain or far department computerized, which those Nigeria banks which have not gone into computerization are still looking into possibilities of being computerized.

However, the coming of computer as earlier stated has some of this attendant problems, but looking at it very critically, it might be a serious problem to the banks. These are personnel and fiancé cost./ these are five necessary thing which must be available before any banks can go into computerization. Personnel are very necessary for the effect running of any computer.

This is why Charles A. Myres in his book said that computer good or evil computer is being operated by human beings only. As stated by Charles A. Myres.

My computer can read, that is input, my computer can add, that is output. it can as well remember better than, man, that is memory.