INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IT’S (INFOTECH) SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BANKING SECTOR

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In banking sector information technology has opened up new opportunities for the Nigeria banking sector to improve on their services the role of information technology has grown and changed continuously in the banking sector. This explores the socio-economic factors associated with the adoption use of ICTS by the banking sector of a total of 54 socio-economic factors considered exactly 50% were found to have significant influence on the adoption and success of ICT application in the banking sector. 

The banking industry has used IT to enable increase in the volume of transaction as well as the development of new products the use of information technology has changed from back office (check and accounts) processing mortgage and loan application processing and the electronic funds transfer to more strategic innovations such as automated teller machines and new kind of securities the use of information technology has also some important customer supplier effects for the customer of service providers. It has been used to improve the quality and variety of services in the banking sector.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Many attempts being made by the banking sector needs to go in order to become part of the financial system. It is clear to all that in the process of adjusting the banking sector to the conditions of the more competitive financial market the implementation of state of the art information technology play a key role the modern information system, which allow the banks to offer new and higher quality services, as well as to better monitor and manage all their operations and risk, will have to be adapted to the current environment of banking sector.

I will only give a few example where the problem of IT in the banking sector.

The BNB has included in it’s regulations the practice of treating bank on equal footing as an important prerequisite for the providing level playing field in competition. In keeping with it’s mission and reputation it will continue to support the process f introducing clear and unified rules (standards) for collecting information on bank transaction from commercial banks in order to limit the effect of the so called information asymmetry in various areas.

The starting wave of take over and mergers among banks also pose threat to information technology in the financial sector during the accession period. The challenge to information technology in the transaction period in the uneven development of region. This creates the danger of part of the population to be left outside the scope off adequate financial services due to the weak incentives, the region of slow growth and lower level of standard are characterized by lower profitability of financial service.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

It is necessary to state the primary objective of the research having stated the problems in information technology and economic objectives that they are expected in the banking sector.

They are as follows:-

i. This work is set out to investigate the major cause of information technology in banking sector.

ii.To investigate of the information technology is efficient or not in the achievement of certain objectives of the banking sector in particular.

iii.To see if the non-realization of the information technology objectives is due to chosen instrument or in appropriate application of the instrument.

iv. To recommend policy solution based on the finding.

v. The policy recommendation based on the above finding will be used as a guide in the further application of information technology.

1.4   SIGNIFICATION OF THE STTUDY

One of the most promising significances of this study is that several banks today are using neural network programmes to detect credit fraud. It is also being used by some leading investment  bank to track stock price patterns and predict their movements. Also information technology in banking sector has made it possible for home banking smart phones with screen built in moderns and programmable microprocessors let the customer access a verity of financial services from home.

Information technology in banking sector has made possible for the use of electronic funds transfer at point of sale with pay-now-buy-later and credit cards had ‘buy-now-pay-later’ advantage EFPOS or debit cards signify ‘buy-now-pay-now’ but without cash transaction the user present his ATM cards when he buys goods and the EFPOS system immediately, debits his bank account. Information technology helps in the banking sector through the used of smart card the processor type smart cards with in built integrated circuits or micro-chips offer a wide range of transaction opportunities even from remote areas the smart cards are extensively being used for employee ‘clocking in withdrawing cash from AT’, using pay-phones, payment of various bill etc. Also information technology in banking sector has help through Electronic Data Inter-change (EDI). It is typically denotes paperless financial transaction across the location. EDI is fast becoming the norm for inter-company transaction and also for procurement of brought out items from the suppliers. The companies can now operate to the bank computer. Companies can thus carry out transaction like transferring funds, managing its Scash flow opening letters of credit etc.