IMPACT OF E-BUSINESS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BANKS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA (UBA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Information technology (IT) has become a requirement for human endeavors, especially in the areas of economic growth, market transactions, distribution efficiency, and productivity. The use of software, hardware, utilities, and supporting infrastructures to manage and distribute information through speech, data, and video is referred to as information technology (IT) (Safeena & Date 2010; Uduji, 2013). The usage of IT applications has transformed the whole market world in unimaginable ways (Uduji, 2013a). The banking industry, for example, has reaped significant benefits from an online company (e-business) approach. E-business is one of the subsets of Software technologies that is widely used to grow, innovate, and improve the banking industry's competitiveness. Hasan, Baten, Kamil, and Parveen (2010) argued that technical advancements are inevitable and lead to the banks' distribution networks.

IT and online banking (e-banking) have become important tools for improving a country's competitiveness, growth, and the performance of private and public banks, especially in developing countries like Nigeria Beginning with the delivery systems, as demonstrated by automated teller machines (ATMs), mobile banking, telebanking, PC banking, and the most recent technology, e-banking, the advancement of IT has driven various changes in the banking industry (Gallup, 2008). These systems also supplanted the labor-intensive, cascading payments mechanism and paper-based payment methods. According to Safeena and Date (2010), underestimating the value of e-banking leads to a wider gap with developed countries, as most banks seek opportunities arising from the new business climate.. Nigerian banks are projected to profit from the long-term impact of e-banking on improving quality and service delivery.

1.2  STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

E-business is a crucial part of banking in contemporary era, although major banks and institutions have adapted to this change, it is still to be implemented in other parts of Nigeria. Digital technology (IT) has been a major source of economic and social growth in today's society. Without the usage of technology, the banking industry today can not progress quickly. Internet banking (e-banking), in fact, is one of the IT technologies that has had the most effect on the global economy in terms of establishing a modern market climate in the field. As a result, the aim of this research is to look into the effect of e-banking on the output of Nigeria's banking sector, a study of United bank of Africa.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.      To expatiate on the importance of e-business on the overall performance of UBA.

2.      To examine the impact e-business has on the performance of UBA.

3.      To determine the effects of e-business on customers.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.      What is the importance e-business on the overall performance of UBA?

2.      What is the impact e-business has on the performance of UBA?

3.      What are the effects of e-business on customers?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be significant to not just UBA but other institutional bodies on the impact and effectiveness of e-business on their performance. It would add to the academic world as it will provide extra research materials to researchers who want to delve deeper into this subject matter and perhaps extend the research to other institutional bodies.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will only cover the impact of e-business on the performance of United Bank for Africa and its effects on the customers or clients of the bank.

1.7  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The only limitations faced by the researcher in the execution of this study was insufficient time and funds required for crucial materials to delve deeper into this research.

1.8  OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      E-BUSINESS: Online Business or e-business is any kind of business or commercial transaction that includes sharing information across the internet. Commerce constitutes the exchange of products and services between businesses, groups and individuals and can be seen as one of the essential activities of any business.

2.      BANK: An institution or organization put in place for basic transactions of individuals, also responsible for releasing loans.