ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE COMMERCIAL BANK ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES IN AKWA IBOM STATE

The research focus is to ascertain the extent to which commercial banks as helped to finance small scale industries. Instrument of data collection is questionnaire and research questions which formed the source of primary data. While materials from various published articles, face books, journals and newspaper, formed the secondary data. The method of analysis is the use of the table’s percentages and chi – square. The major finding of the research is that first bank of Nigeria plc has helped to finance small scale industries. The recommendation based on the finding is that in order to reduce the risk in small scale industry lending, the central bank of Nigeria and the government can do more than they are doing currently. The study concluded that if the desired objective of using small scale industries as catalyst of development is to be achieved than the role of commercial banks should be mutually supportive. Also recommendations were given on how commercial banks could help to finance small scale business.