unctional properties of fermented maize (Generic and specific) flour blended

African Journal of Food Science Vol. 3(4). pp.107-112, April, 2009 Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/ajfs ISSN 1996-0974 © 2009 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Evaluation of mineral content and functional properties of fermented maize (Generic and specific) flour blended with bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L) T. I. Mbata1,3*, M. J. Ikenebomeh2 and S. Ezeibe3 1Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. 2Department of Microbiology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. 3Department of Microbiology, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Nigeria. Accepted 10 February, 2009 The mineral content, essential amino acids and selected functional properties of composite blend of maize flour (MF) and boiled bambara groundnut flour (BGF) in the ratio 70:30 w/w were investigated using standard processing technique. Results obtained showed that maize flour blended with 30% bambara groundnut in addition to germination significantly improved the mineral and amino acids profile of the composite blend. Functional properties (bulk density, water absorption capacity and foam capacity) were also affected by fermentation, which significantly lowered the water absorption capacity and bulk density increased the foam capacity of bambara-maize‘ogi’. Sensory evaluation indicated that the bambara-maize‘ogi’ was generally acceptable. The application of bambara groundnut blend to traditional foods suggests a viable option for promoting the nutritional qualities of Africa maize-based traditional foods with acceptable cooking qualities. Key words: Fermented maize flour, bambara groundnut, mineral content, functional properties. INTRODUCTION Consumption rate of maize and maize based product is grossly increasing in Nigeria. The sudden change could be attributed to eating habits as a result of poverty, which has become a chronic problem in developing countries, whereby parents are unable to afford high quality foods for their families (Cole et al., 1989). Many Nigerians are now consuming less quality foods at the expense of what they need for a healthy life. Several studies have fortified local starchy foods with legumes like soybean, groundnut, bambara groundnut e.t.c, in order to improve their nutritional qualities. Bambara groundnut is essentially grown for human consumption. The seed makes a complete food, as it contains sufficient quantities of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Several researchers have examined the biochemical composition of the seed (Owusu-Domfeh et al., 1970; Oluyemi et al., 1976; Oliveira, 1976; Linnemann, 1987). On the average, the seeds were found to contain 63% *Corresponding author. E-mail: theoiyke@yahoo.com. Tel.: +2348032618922. carbohydrate, 19% protein and 6.5% oil. Its protein content can be used to fortify our mostly starchy foods like ‘ogi’, made from maize (Mbata et al., 2007). Maize (Zea mays) grains are used in the production of several traditional foods, unfortunate they lack adequate micronutrients. In order to help alleviate the ever-increasing problems of malnutrition in developing countries, the need for fortification of popularly consumed low protein staple foods with inexpensive sources of plant proteins cannot be overemphasized. The United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) (1998) estimated that approximately one out of three children younger than 5 years of age are chronically malnourished and are thus trapped early in life in a pattern of ill health and poor development. Malnutrition is thus associated with more than half of all deaths of children worldwide (Sobo and Oguntona, 2006). According to Onyezili (1999), malnutrition contributed to more than half a million death of babies born in Nigeria in 1999. These nutriational deficiencies are also known to lead to a high death rate, disabling diseases and retardation in physical growth and mental development (Banigo et al., 1986).   108 Afr. J. Food Sci. This tends to reduce the population of the affected country. Growth of infants in the first two years of life is very rapid. Food dependency is typically on breast milk which is reputed to be the best for human infants. However, the rapidity of growth mentioned earlier shows the need to supplement breast milk in meeting the nutritional requirement of the older child, hence, the need for nutritional supplements (Martorell et al., 1994). Weaning foods in most African countries are usually in the form of cereal gruels which are watery suspensions of cooked maize, rice or sorghum (Onilude et al., 1999) that are very much low in quality protein. In Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, cereal grains lack two essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan (FAO, 1985; Hoshiai, 1991), thus making their protein quality poorer compared to that of animals (Chavan and Kadam, 1989). Earlier studies have documented increased lysine and tryptophan in germinated corn (Tsai et al., 1975), improved vitamin content in germinated sorghum and maize (Asiedu et al., 1993), increased amino acid and vitamins in fermented blends of cereals and soybeans (Onilude et al., 1999). Many brands of low-cost proprietary weaning foods have been developed from locally available, high-calorie cereals and legumes in tropical Africa (Price et al., 1978). Most cereals are low in essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron and zinc (Oyenuga, 1969) and blending cereals with legumes rich in proteins and essential amino acids has also been perfected (Livingstone et al., 1993). To be useful and successful in food application, fermented maize flours fortified with a legume protein, bambara groundnut, should possess desirable functional and micronutrients properties. However, there are no information on the functional properties and micronutrient status of fermented maize flour blended with bambara ground- nut. This study, therefore, aimed at the determination of functional properties, mineral content and amino acids of fermented maize flour blended with bambara groundnut. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection of sample Yellow maize (Zea mays L) and cream coat bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L) used were purchased from an Eke Awka market in Anambra state, Nigeria. The samples were thoroughly cleaned by picking all broken kernels, stones, together with other foreign particles and the good ones were sorted out. The samples were then stored in sterile polyethylene bags and taken to the laboratory for mineral content and functional analyses. Pre-treatment of bambara groundnut The bambara groundnut was first thoroughly cleaned by picking all the stones and other foreign particles present in them while sorting out the good ones. The cleaned bambara groundnut were soaked in water for 1 h and boiled at a temperature of 100°C for 20 min. The seeds were dehulled manually, sun-dried for 2 -3 days. The dried seeds were then dry-milled into flour using a disc attrition mill (Hunt No. 2A premier mill, Hunt and Co, UK) to an average particle size of less than 0.3 mm. The milled grain was then sieved through a fine mesh (0.5 mm) to obtain the bambara groundnut flour. Preparation of traditional fermented maize flour Two hundred grams of the cleaned maize samples were soaked in plastic bucket containing 300 ml of distilled water and steeped for 24 h at room temperature (28 ± 2°C). The steep water was discarded by decantation and the steeped grains were germinated (48 h) by spreading on a clean grease free tray pan and thereafter it was sun dried for 2 -3 days by putting it in a sterilized tray pan. The maize grains were then milled using a disc attrition mill (Hunt No. 2A premier mill, Hunt and Co, UK) to an average particle size of less than 0.3 mm. The milled grain was then sieved through a fine mesh (0.5 mm) to obtain the maize flour. Supplementation of fermented sorghum with soybeans The bambara groundnut and maize flours were mixed together in the ratio 30:70 (w/w) (Bressani and Elias, 1974) (Figure 1). Chemical analysis Calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Iodine (I2), zinc (Zn), and magnesium (Mg) were determined using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer method as described by AOAC (1998). Amino acid analysis Lysine concentration in the sample was determined in triplicates, by digestion under vacuum with 6 M HCl in sealed ampules at 110°C for 22 h. The hydrolysates were derivatized and analyzed for amino acids on a water HPLC system controlled by Millenium 2010 software (Water DIV, Millipore Corp, Milford, MA, USA) (Millipore, 1987). Tryptophan was determined according to the AOAC (1998) method. Functional properties The bulk density was determined using the method of Wang and Kinsella (1976). Ten grams of the sample material were placed in a 25 ml graduated cylinder and packed by gentle tapping of the cylinder on a bench top 10 times from a height of 5 -8 cm. The final volume of the test material was recorded and expressed as g/ml. The method described by Cegla et al. (1977) was used in the determination of water absorption capacity (WAC). 6 g of materials were weighed in a 100 ml beaker. A known volume of water was pipetted into the beaker. The wet material was carefully stirred and allowed to equilibrate for 1 h at 26°C. After complete water absorption, the sample was further treated with 0.01 ml water portions with 10 min interval before visual observation. The volume that gave a complete absorption of water (no visible free water) was recorded. WAC was calculated as the ratio of maximum volume in g absorbed by 100 g dry material. The foam capacity (FC) was determined as described by Naranyana and Narasinga-Roo (1982). In this method, the volume of foam at 60 s after whipping was expressed as FC. Sensory evaluation Fresh samples of cooked porridge prepared with each of the pro   Mbata et al. 109 MAIZE BAMBARA-GROUNDNUT CLEANING CLEANING SOAKING (24h) SOAKING (1h) GERMINATION (48h) BOILING (20 MIN) DEHULLING SUN-DRYING (48h) SUN-DRYING (48h) MILLING MILLING SIEVING 70% 30% TRADITIONAL MIXING FERMENTED MAIZE FLOUR SIEVING BAMBARA-GROUNDNUT BLENDED FERMENTED MAIZE FLOUR Figure 1. Flow diagram for the production of bambara-groundnut-blend and traditional fermented maize flour samples. ducts by boiling 10% (w/v) slurry of the dough for 15 min were assessed for colour, texture, flavour (aroma), taste and overall acceptability. An 8 point hedonic scale, where 8 represented the highest score and 1 the lowest was employed to test the product for flavor, taste, texture, colour and general acceptability. The hedonic scaling used is thus: No. 2 2007 8 = like extremely 7 = like very much 6 = like moderately 5 = like slightly 4 = dislike slightly 3 = dislike moderately 2 = dislike very much and 1 = dislike extremely Each treatment was evaluated three times by each panelist. Consumer panel which was randomly selected from students and lecturers of the Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria, participated in the testing sessions. The assessments were conducted in a well lit room designed for sensory evaluation. The food was stored safely in a cool and dry place and served immediately or soon after preparation. Each judge was presented with a glass of water after each testing session to rinse their mouths so as to prevent carryover effect. Statistical analyses The data were subjected to analysis of variance in a completely randomized design using the method of Stell and Torrie (1980). Significance difference was accepted at p = 0.05 levels. RESULTS The mineral composition of fermented maize flour and bambara groundnut-maize fortified flour of the diets are presented in Table 1. The zinc, iron, iodine, magnesium, and calcium contents of the flours ranged from 62.84 78.20, 49.72 -58.80, 3.00 -18.12, 460.02 -475.20 and 115.64 -128.40 mg per 100 g dry flour for fermented maize and bambara groundnut-maize fortified flours respectively. The flours especially those of bambara-maize ‘ogi’ supplied adequate amounts of most minerals except copper (24.60 -29.75 mg). The functional properties (bulk density, water absorption capacity and foam capacity) of the diets are presented in Table 2. The bambara groundnut-maize flour has a lower bulk density (0.35 g/cm3) than the fermented maize flour (0.55 g/cm3). The water absorption capacity was also lower (41.5 g/g) in bambara groundnut-maize flour than in fermented maize flour (44.5 g/g). Foam capacity values increased in bambara groundnut-maize flour (44.5 g/g) than in fermented maize flour (41.5 g/g). Table 3 shows the amount of bioavailable lysine and tryptophan in fermented maize and bambara groundnutmaize flours. The result showed an appreciable increase in lysine and tryptophan concentration in bambara groundnut maize flour. The overall acceptability scores of the various sensory attributes are shown in Table 4.   110 Afr. J. Food Sci. Table 1. The mineral content of the bambara groundnut-maize blended flour (mg/100g). Elements Fermented maize flour (MF) Bambara groundnut-maize blended flour (BGF) Copper (Cu) 29.75a 24.60b Zinc (Zn) 62.84c 78.20d Magnesium (Mg) 460.02e 475.20f Calcium (Ca) 115.64g 128.40h Iron (Fe) 49.72i 58.80j Iodine (I2) 3.00k 18.12l Means of three independent determinations. Mean values within a row with different superscripts differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 2. Functional properties of the bambara groundnut-maize blended flour. Properties flour (BGF) Fermented maize flour (MF) blended Bambara groundnut maize Bulk density (g/cm3) 0.55a 0.35b Water absorption capacity (g/g) 44.5c 41.5d Foaming capacity (%) 0.16e 0.61f Means of three independent determinations. Mean values within a row with different superscripts differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 3. Amino acid content (g/16gN) of bambara groundnut-maize blended flour (BGF) Properties Traditional Bambara groundnut-maize blended Fermented Maize flour Flour (BDF) Lysine 0.50 ± 0.11a 4.20 ± 0.21b Tryptophan 0.1 ± 0.08c 0.86 ± 0.06d Means of three independent determinations. Mean values in the same column with different superscripts differ significantly (p<0.05). Table 4. Organoleptic characteristics and acceptability of bambara groundnut-maize blended dough Mean scores a, b Supplements Colour Texture Flavour Taste Overall 1 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.8 6.9 2 6.7 7.0 6.8 6.9 6.9 3 6.7 7.0 6.8 6.8 6.8 4 6.6 6.4 6.7 6.8 6.6 5 6.7 6.8 6.1 6.4 6.5 aMeans are scores of 20 Judges and not significant (p>0.05) different b/w supplementary foods. bPanelists used 8 point hedonic scale. DISCUSSION zinc (Oyenuga, 1969) and blending with legumes rich in proteins and essential amino acids has been reported The study highlighted the need for fortification of maize (Livingstone et al., 1993; Mbata et al., 2007). Despite the fermented flour with bambara groundnut. reported studies in the nutrient status of cereal based In tropical Africa, weaning foods based on cereals diets in sub-Saharan Africa, the nutrient needs of infants (maize) are deficient in essential amino acids such as and sick adults are still not being met. lysine and tryptophan e.t.c, thus making their protein qua-An earlier report by Mbata et al. (2007) considered the lity poorer compared to that of animals (Chavan and nutritional status (proximate, amino acid and rheological Kadam, 1989). However, most cereals are also low in properties) of fermented maize meal by fortification with essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron and bambara groundnut. In the study, the effect of fortification   of maize based traditional foods with legume protein bambara groundnut at 10% and 20% replacement levels on the rate of fermentation and organoleptic product quality were investigated. Though the nutritional status was enhanced, the composite blends of maize and bambara groundnut (70:30 w/w) as in the study, gave a better nutritional and supplemental relationship in the production of bambara-maize‘ogi’. Addition of 30% bambara groundnut into bambara-supplemented maize improves the mineral and essential amino acid contents of maize ‘ogi’. ‘Ogi’ has a poor biological value thus, children weaned entirely on ‘ogi’ made solely from maize are known to suffer from malnutrition and generally provide insufficient amounts of certain key nutrients (particularly iron, zinc and calcium) to meet the recommended nutrient intake during the age range of 6 – 24 months and so the need for enrichment (Dewey and Brown, 2003). Results obtained from this study showed that there were significant improvement in the mineral and essential amino acid contents of maize blended meal with bambara groundnut. The minerals especially zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron and iodine increased with 30% addition of bambara groundnut. This increase could be due to the combination effect because maize and most cereals are deficient in essential micronutrients. The essential amino acids composition at the end of 72 h fermentation differed significantly (P < 0.05) from those of fermented maize meal. However, a varied pattern was noticed in the improvement of each amino acid in the blended sample. Lysine and tryptophan are essential amino acids which are vital for growth and maintenance of the body and are often limiting in some cereals (FAO, 1985; Asiedu et al., 1993a). Bambara-groundnut is very good nutritionally, rich in lysine. The incorporation of bambara-groundnut to maize meal increased these amino-acids content. This agrees with the finding of Wu and Wall (1980), who showed that germination of cereals followed by other processing techniques is essential to improving lysine content. The findings from this study have showed that the blended food (bambara-maize ‘ogi’) was nutritious, since the product met the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) with respect to mineral and essential amino acids as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (1985) and the National Institute of Nutrition (1992) for children, pregnant and lactating mothers. The functional properties of the maize fermented meal and their blends are shown in Table 2. Bulk density (BD) of the formulations was low in bambara-maize‘ogi’ (0.35 g/ml) compared to that of maize fermented meal (0.55 g/ml). The water absorption capacities (WACs) of the bambara-maize‘ogi’ (which indicated the volume of water needed to form a gruel with a suitable thickness for child feeding) was also low (41.5 g/100 g) compared to that of maize fermented flour (44.5 g/100 g). The water absorp-tion capacities (WACs) of maize flour were significantly (p < 0.05) different from the water absorption capacities of Mbata et al. 111 bambara groundnut-maize‘ogi’. However, a weaning food should have low WAC and BD in order to produce a more nutritious and suitable weaning food. This could be achieved by reducing the viscosity of the starchy components by malting (Malleshi and Desikachar, 1982). A low viscosity (less bulky) food contains higher nutrient contents since the volume of the food is low. The foam capacity (FC) was increased by fermentation and thus had a similar addition effect on the flour blends (Onimawo et al., 2007). Akubor and Obiegbuna (1999) reported similar effects on millet flour by germination. Fermentation may have caused surface denaturation of bambara groundnut proteins and reduced the surface tension of the molecules which gave good formability. In the organoleptic evaluation, the bambara-maize‘ogi’ were accepted by the trained panelists. Mean scores were not significantly (p > 0.05) different. This shows that the product was liked by the trained panelists. Conclusion The study showed that fermentation could improve both the amino acids, mineral contents and some selected functional properties of bambara groundnut. This improvement invariably improved the essential amino acids, mineral contents and functional properties of the blends made from bambara groundnut and maize flours. This supplementation of ‘ogi’ with bambara groundnut increases the biological value of ‘ogi’ which reduced the occurrence of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency in children weaned with ‘ogi’. The bambaramaize ‘ogi’ produced from the blend was safe and generally acceptable and could be used in weaning, and improving birth weight. REFERENCES Akubor PI, Obiegbuna JE (1999). Certain chemical and functional properties of ungerminated and germinated millet flours J. Food Sci. Technol. 36(3):241-243. AOAC (1998). Official Methods of Analysis 16th edn. Arlington, VA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Vol 1 and 2. Asiedu M, Lied E, Nilsen R, Sandnes K (1993). Effect of processing (sprouting and /or fermentation) on sorghum and maize11: Vitamins and amino acid composition. Biological evaluation of maize protein. Food Chem. 48:201-204 Banigo EOI, Ihimoyan KI, Osai GEA (1986). Development of soy beverage for Nigeria. Niger. Food J. 4(1): 55-64. Bressani R, Elias LG (1974). Legume foods in Atscul AM (ed), New protein foods. New York: Academic Press. 4: 231-297. Cegla GF, Meinke WW, Mattil KF (1977). Composition and characteristics of aqueous extracted textured vegetable protein flours: Soy and cotton seed. J. food Sci. 42: 807-811. Chavan JK, Kadam SS (1989). Nutritional improvement of cereals by Fermentation CRC Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 28: 349-400. Cole AH, Ibeziako PA, Bomgboye EA (1989). BMR and Energy Expenditure of pregnant women. Brit. J. Nutr. 62: 631-637. Dewey KG, Brown KH (2003). Update on technical issues concerning complementary feeding of young children in developing countries and implications for intervention programs. Food Nutr. Bull. 24(1):5-28. FAO/WHO/UNU (1985). Expert consultation Energy and protein requirements. WHO Technical Report Series, No 721, Geneva.   112 Afr. J. Food Sci. Hoshiai K (1991). Current world supplies of and requirement for essential amino acid. Food Nutr. Bull. 29-39. Linnemann AR (1987). Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.). A Rev. Abstr. on Tropical Agriculture 12(7). Livingstone AS, Feng JJ, Malleshi GN (1993). Development and nutritional quality evaluation of weaning foods based on malted, popped and roller dried wheat and chicken. Int. J. Food Sci. Technol. 28: 35 Malleshi NG, Desikachar HSR (1982). Formulation weaning food with low hot paste viscosity based on malted ragi and green gram flour. J. Food Sci. 19: 193-197. Martorell R, Kettel Khan L, Schroeder DG. (1994) Reversibility of stunting:epidemiological findings in children from developing countries. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. S45-S57 Mbata TI, Ikenebomeh MJ, Ahonkhai I (2007). Nutritional status of maize fermented meal by fortification with bambara-nut. Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 7(2): 1-14. Millipore (1987). Liquid chromatographic analysis of amino acids in feed and foods using a modification of the Pico-Tag Method. Milford, MA: Millipore Corp. Naranyana K, Narasinga-Roo MS (1982). Functional properties of Lupin seed proteins and protein concentrates. J. Food Sci. 47:491-495. National Institute of Nutrition (1992). Acceptability trials of ready-to-eat foods in rural ICDs centers. In: Annual Report, National Institute of Nutrition. 1-13.Oliveira JS (1976). Grain legumes of Mozambique. Trop. Grain Legume Bull. 3:13-15. Oluyemi JA, Fetuga BL, Endeley HNL (1976). The metabolizable energy value of some feed ingredients for young chicks. Poultry Sci. 55: 611-618. Onilude AA, Sanni AI, Ighalo MI (1999). Effect of process Improvement on the physico-chemical properties of infant weaning food from fermented composite blends of cereal and soybeans. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 54: 239-250. Onimawo IA, Ibekwe JO, Uchechukwu N, Emebu KP (2007). Functional properties and production of improved biscuits from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and fermented bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) flour blends. Niger. J. Nutr. Sci. 28(1): 90-98. Onyezili F (1999). Adequate nutrition. A matter of right. An address, Nutrition section at 8th Annual Reviews of the nutrition programme Kaduna, Nov 22.Oyenuga VA 1969. Africa feed and food stuffs, Ibadan University PressOwusu-Domfeh K, Christensen DA, Owen BD (1970). Nutritive value of some Ghanian feed-stuffs. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 50:1-14. Price ML, Van Scoyoc S, Butler LG (1978). A critical evaluation of vanillin reaction as an assay for tannin in sorghum grain. J. Agric. Food Chem. 26: 1214-1218 Sobo RA, Oguntona CR (2006). Nutritional assessment of children of market women in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Nig. J. Nutr. Sci. 1and 2: 62-66 Stell RG, Torrie JH (1980). Principles and Procedure of Statistics, 2nd Edn. McGraw Hill Books, New York. UNICEF (1998). United Nations Children's Fund. The state of the world’s children. Oxford University PressWang JC, Kinsella JE (1976). Functional properties of novel proteins: Alfalfa leaf protein. J. food Sci. 41:286-292 Wu YV, Wall JS (1980). Lysine and tryptophan increased during germination of cereal grains. Cereal Chem. 53: 222-226.

THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE.

THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE. TABLE OF CONTENT Preliminary page Title page Approval page Dedication Acknowledgement Abstract Table of content CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of the problem 1.3 Objective of the study 1.4 Research Question 1.5 Statement of hypothesis 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Scope of the study 1.8 Limitation of the study 1.9 Definition of terms CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Literature review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 CHAPTER THREE 3.0 Research design and methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research design 3.3 Source/methodology of data collection 3.4 Population and sample size 3.5 Sample technique 3.6 Validity and reliability of measuring instrument33 3.7 Method of data analysis CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 Presentation and analysis of datA 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Presentation of data 4.3 Analysis of data 4.4 Test of hypothesis 4.5 Interpretation of result CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 Summary, conclusion and Recommendation 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Summary of findings 5.3 Conclusion References Appendix Abstract In recent times, sport has been exploited as tool for engendering peace in communities, cities, and between nations of the world. At the same time, numerous writers have raised questions and doubts as to whether it has the capacity to transform individuals, and change conflict/violent behaviors. This study, a participatory research, observed the influence of football fanaticism/support in bringing together youths and non-youths alike to develop a new sense of identity (ethnicity), different from those based on primordial factors of common descent, language, religion, and cultural heritage, which create growing concern for violent conflict. My research discovered that football’s capacity to integrate people was high but could, if not controlled, produce another form of ethnic conflict based on club identity. A primary recommendation is that, if sport (football) is to be designed for peace building, tolerance education must be introduced for football lovers. CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction Mass Media refers to any means of information addressed to society members. Various forms of the media which have the stronger capacity to impart on the society are radio and television, termed electronic media. Others include the internet, newspapers and billboards. These afore-mentioned media can affect the society negatively and positively. They have become powerful tools which are capable of shaping a family's cultural values, which if not used positively, may lead to many undesirable results such as domestic violence, psychological disturbances, juvenile delinquencies and many more. It is widely known that the media can teach norms and values by way of symbolic reward and punishment for different kinds of behaviours. We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction. Hence the society relies on the media to get the current news (within and outside), facts about everything that concerns our lives and also keep us entertained. 1.1 Background of the study Nigerians have formed part of the global followers of the European football, especially the British premiership league. The national media’s specialty at covering and broadcasting of European football has been unprecedented. The passion, zeal, accuracy, and dexterity with which presenters of football matches broadcast and run commentary of the premiership and other leagues in Europe increases viewers’ love and interest for the game of football. Also developed in viewers is the interest to identify with a club side as a fan/supporter. The followership could be compared to that experienced with the Nigerian local football league in the 1970 and mid 80s, which has since been reduced drastically because of poor organization. Apart from the national media, another medium providing Nigerians with the avenue to view live coverage of these matches is the pay per-view centers, scattered all across the nation’s cities. These viewing centers, specializing in providing pay per view services of European football matches, have increased tremendously since the beginning of the 21st century when more cable television net-works entered into the business with fairly affordable subscription rates. Audiences viewing games, plus fanatic support for particular clubs, have increased. An average Nigerian youth and adult (male and female) are happy to identify as fan of a chosen club side in the European football league. Visits at these viewing centers will find fans displaying knowledge of clubs history and player’s profiles, as well as mini-fans club (non-formalized club). All members are known and are identified as “our man’ and “our club” showing their unflinching support and love for their chosen club. In 2006 and 2007, the effects of English premiership on Nigerians (youths and adults alike) took a new dimension when fans began to label streets after particular football club in the English premiership. There was conflict in parts of Lagos and Ibadan, and other parts of the country, which in some cases lead to violence and killings between supporters of different clubs. Is ethnic identity growing from this? On the surface, it seems that the characteristics of ethnicity are observably on the rise. With this picture, one may conclude that football is an instigator in causing conflict and the same time at integrating people – a strong point or element in peace and community building. In view of this, my interest in studying events at these viewing centers to verify the seeming strength of football, to integrate a diverse people of different cultures, language, gender, and religion, (of which was the basis Nigeria had suffered and still fear disintegration and disunity) was stimulated. This paper includes analyses of the strength and weakness of football as a strategy for engendering peace, and recommends preventive measures for controlling the violent conflict tendencies that football followership/fanaticism generates. 1.2 Statement of the problem The influence of super sports on EPL followership by student of fed. Poly. Nekede has created a high rate of un-seriousness to the student of the institution and other student outside fed. Poly Nekede and the society which could result to serious social problem for the society. 1.3 Objective of the study The objective of the study are to determine: 2 The need of super sport on student. 3 The effect of super sport on EPL followership by student. 4 How super sport on EPL followership can influence student of fed. Poly. Nekede. 5 Some necessary recommendations of E.P.L. to student and entire society. 1.4 Research Question 1. What is E.P.L.? 2. What is super sport? 3. Who is a Student? 4. What are the effect super sport to epl and student 5. What is the importance of watching super sport? 6. Can watching super sport solve a problem to a student? 7. Who are the E.P.L. followers? 8. What is the nature of ethnicity that football support and fanaticism has developed in Nigeria? 9. Have there been inter-group conflicts as a result of football supports? 10. What the causes of inter-groups conflicts? 11. Where there are no open conflicts, are there inter-group prejudice and discrimination based on football support/fanaticism? Has there been any evidence of ethnic integrations based on football followership? 1.5 Statement of hypothesis Hypothesis one H0! The E.P.L. does not have a well designed followership structure H1! The E.P.L. has a well designed followership structured. 1.6 Significance of the study When the study is concluded, the entire public will find this study useful by knowing THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE. Future researchers who may need secondary data for other research work in related topics will find this research work useful. This is because a perusal through the finding and recommendation will reveal that SUPER SPORT has a huge INFLUENCE ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP. More especially on students. This research work will also be of immense help to super sport viewers, government, instutitions etc. That may be interested to know how influential E.P.L. is to its followers. 1.7 Scope of the study This study covers football followership of the English premier league in the year of 2007/2008 football season. Three case studies of pay per-view centers from multi-ethnic residential areas within Nekede, Imo state of Nigeria were observed because of the heterogeneous nature of the residents of the area. This research work tends or aimed at examine THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE. This study tries to covey the way\ways or the important role the SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP. Therefore the researcher thought it is wise to write on THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP, focusing on STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE as a case study. 1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Some problems were encountered during this research\ project work such as: 1. TIME CONTRAINT; The researcher has no sufficient time to frequent the area of study due to compiled academic works facing him. He also has limited time in fixing the facts collected during the research work. 2. INFORMATION CONSTRAINTS The research encountered high compliance from the case study (fed. Poly nekede student) due to secrecy of some information. 3. FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT The researcher has problem financing this work. This was due to the fact that during this work, there was drastic increase in the cost of living, transport, printing and binding of project. However, I thank God for making me (researcher) to finish the work and present it fairly. 4. Another problem the researcher has was getting the recent three –five financial statements (annual report) of the company to aid this work. 1.9 Definition of terms CHATER TWO 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW It is wise to clarify issues, concepts, and possibly develop a framework that would afford a clearer understanding of the focus of this research study. Football followership of the multi-ethnic nature of Nigeria - looking at its ethnic conflict experiences and the connection between peace and sports - are reviewed. Fanaticism is taken as the act of fondness for which an individual extends his supports, solidarity, and is emotionally attached to a club. Fanaticism could as well mean followership and in that case, a fan is a supporter or a follower of a football club. Fanaticism, fan, followers, and supporters are therefore in this paper referred to as having the same meaning and used interchangeably in this paper. Conceptualizing Ethnicity Defining ethnicity is not easy. Controversy emerges from whether ethnic group and ethnicity should have different meaning or not. Burgess (1978) is convinced that ethnicity is a synthesis of ethnic group, meaning that it can only be understood through each other. Two sets of debates provide insight into the term ethnicity. They are rational versus non-rational and the objective and subjective schools of thoughts. The rationalist believe in a logical reasoning emphasized upon voluntary, functional pragmatic situational nature of ethnicity, unlike the non-rationalist who see ethnicity as not just a group of people believing in primordial evidence of common decent but a changing need for people to group together to respond to social pressures and a basis for group action. Adam (1971) observe that ethnic identification should be seen as the result of efforts by under- privileged groups to improve their lot through collective mobilization, or conversely, the efforts of a super-ordinate group to preserve the privileges they enjoy by exploiting subjected groups. The objective criterion sees ethnicity as one group allegiance, one class of group membership, one kind of link or bond between individuals; one form of social diversity, or one sort of social status (Parsons, 1954, quoted from Burgess, 1978). Following this sense, Elaine Burgess states that ethnicity becomes the character, quality, or condition of belonging to an ethnic group and ethnic group in itself. From these, one may describe ethnicity as the quality or character, which a group possess and manifests, while it identifies an ethnic group once these qualities and characters are observable over a long period of time. The subjective criteria refer to the socio-psychological aspects or the affective ties of ethnicity, although these are frequently related back to the objective perspectives of conceiving ethnic groups. Weber (1968) viewed ethnic membership as a subjective belief, a kind of presumed identity, which is the psychological category essential for individual motivation. Brass (1976), based on this, identifies ethnicity as the ethnic identity felt by members of the ethnic community or group. With all these, ethnicity could be taken as solidarity, attachment, and emotional feeling or tie towards a group or individuals sharing same ideology, interest, sentiments, enjoyments and exhibit some level of discrimination and defend together against opposition groups. This defense or discrimination could be expressed either through verbal comments or physical violence. In order words, a football supporter’s club is an ethnic group and their discriminations, violence, and defense is an act of ethnicity. In this reference, ethnicity may exclude descent, language, religion, class, and status. The ability of football to bring people of different ethnic backgrounds (defined under primordial concepts of common descent, language, and heritage or culture) together to exhibit a common interest and acting under same group umbrella as fans club could as well be regarded as an ethnic group. 2.2 The Multi-ethnic nature of Nigeria The nature of ethnicity in Nigeria is based upon descent, language, and religion. In spite of the little variation identifiable among these ethnic groups, their collective strength is built on racial descent. Inherent conflicts makes this less effective because among these racial groups are discriminations and internal stereotypes. Ethnicity in Nigeria is inseparable from certain goals to attain scarce resources (Imobighe, 2003; Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, IPCR 2003). This is shown by communal violence between the three major ethnic groups in their struggle for political power, as well as those self-determination struggles between majority and minority groups. Nigeria is not a new example of a multi-ethnic country; its ethnic makeup makes it a highly conflict-prone state. The diversity in ethnic groups, numbering 389 according to Otite (2000), indicates Nigeria is delicately fragile, requiring strong proactive management approaches to ensure positive ethnic relations among all. The complexity of the nation’s ethnic constitution, however, was to prove fears correct with the outbreak of civil war in the late 1960s. Ever since, the question of how to manage the diversity effectively has been asked. Most strategies, applied to handle this diversity, aimed to integrate Nigerians by catching them young through the establishment of unity schools and national youth service corps. Other strategies project equal representation of all ethnic groups - major and minority groups - through the federal character policy and quota system to ensure appointments in political and civil service offices to attain a balanced representation among the ethnic groups, at least among the three major ethnic groups – Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba (Osaghea, 1992). These strategies have proven in ineffective at the face of obvious violent conflicts among ethnic groups who had coexisted in peace - before colonization, during it, and at independence. Imobighe (2003) records that, from 1998 to 2003, over 50 ethno-religious conflicts occurred in Nigeria, indicating that the national unity and cohesion was not formidable. However, via third party interventions, all of these violent self-determinations, in which youths were active in militia, were resolved. Where that leaves Nigeria is that mutual suspicion and distrust continues to exist among these ethnic groups, over political appointments, signs of marginalization, or subjugations and distributions of development projects (Majaro-Majesty, 2006). In his study he underscored the need for increases in peace-building education and integration of conflict transformation strategies to ensure demilitarization, and reintegration of militia and community people to positive civil living, to increase faith and hope in the nation and among coexisting former adversaries. Stereotypes and superiority tendencies are major inhibitors in interactions between two individual from opposite ethnic groups in Nigeria (Majaro-Majesty, 2008). While strategies to cement relationships between persons often depends on the avenues that workplace, schools, businesses (market place), political forum, and even sports could provide, the need to treat the minds that carry stereotypes and paradynamic references is high. If sport is to be taken as a strategy for treating stereotypes and paradynamic assumptions, change agents and their agencies must have a good knowledge of peace-building, gain conflict and behavior transformation. 2.3 SPORTS AND PEACE-BUILDING Sport has been defined to have very close relationship with recreation and competition. The purpose it serves is increasing in scope in today’s world. Coakley (1994) defined sports as:… an institutional competitive activity that involves vigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skills by individuals whose participation is motivated by a combination of the intrinsic satisfaction associated with the activity itself and the external rewards earned through participation. Wuest and Bucher (1999) define sport as recreation, as a socially acceptable and non-profit oriented activity performed during leisure hours which provides immediate and inherent satisfactions to participants. Mull, Bayless, Ross and Jamieson (1997) see recreation as a means, through which people are educated on how to lead a positive live in their leisure hours. Leisure is taken as a period when an individual is not engaged in any activity to earn a living. Derived from this then, sport is not just leisure; it is also employable for other uses. United Nations (2003) defines sport as all forms of physical activity that contributes to physical fitness, mental well-being, and social interaction. This underscores sport and recreation as providers of a forum for acquiring skills such as discipline, confidence, and leadership and also as a medium for teaching core principles such as tolerance, cooperation, and respect. It teaches victory and defeat management. These skills are vital elements in peace-building to which sport can contribute. Peace itself is not just a situation without conflict and violence; it also depicts a situation in which an individual feels secured, represented under an atmosphere of justice and equal right. This means an individual’s view is represented and his/her human rights respected. Jeong (2000) identified two types of peace - negative and positive. Negative peace is a state of absence of war or direct physical violence, because stability could be generated by oppressiveness (Wehr, 1979). Positive peace is a state without war or direct violence, but in addition to that, is the absence of indirect structural violence and inclusion of social values and institutions. Doucet (1996) identified synonyms that could be used to understand peace as harmony, order, and justice. The connection between sport and peace-building, drawing from the above therefore, is that sport can be used to achieve peace for communities in conflict, through character formation of individuals and creation of a forum for interactions. Apart from reconstruction of political structures (democracy and constitution), judiciary system, support of free market and so on, peace-building is known to adopt to create a balanced fields for equal right and elimination of injustices which produces conflict. Sport could help peace builders in the transformation of the minds from violence, and stereotyping of former adversaries as enemies. How we build harmony, order, and encourage justice within the communities is a priority when adopting sports as a mechanism. Using sport as a tool would certainly bring about some new attitude such as discipline, confidence, leadership, tolerance, cooperation, and respect. This behavior training through sport is accomplished through programs, such as physical and psycho-social rehabilitation projects, aimed at engendering positive relationships between enemies and projects that seek to use values and inherent conflict potential of sporting competition to teach participants, responsibility, neutrality, equality, inclusivity, rule-based behavior. These anchors justify the trust that the United Nations has on sport it as able to help nations and individuals live in peaceful coexistence. It is fair to ask - would participants (sportsmen and women) alone make up the society? Would other members of the society not require such training that sport provides for its participants? Football, for instance, has a large followership with club sides having their large fans base. Would it not be an incomplete result if sportsmen alone benefit from transformation training against stereotypes and prejudices and fans are left out? What would be the effects of sports on the supporters? The closest route to answering to these questions is by identifying what sports do (or football does) to intervene in conflict prevention and contribute to peace-building: One, organizers of sports training and competition aim to create space for people to meet and interact freely. Second, they create an atmosphere where through frequent contacts, friendship, and better understanding of two diverging ethnic groups/communities is acquired. Third, it attempts to break enemy identity placed on members of either ethnic group/communities in conflict or former adversaries. Sports (for instance, football) have the ability to create pleasure and with it, create the avenue for people to interact and access each other, in open communication and common activity. In Nigeria, therefore, football followership or fanaticism may create passions, emotional attachments required for people of like minds to interact across borders of ethnicity. Pay per-view centres could be an avenue for such interactions where open communications and stereotypes/ prejudices, inherited from older people and ancestors, are gradually broken. But how does this created atmosphere for interactions imbue tolerance, leadership, and respect for others, as well as cooperation responsibility, spirit of equality, and justice, fair play, and other rule-based behaviors in fans? 2.4 BRIEF HISTORY ON E.P.L. AND SUPERSPORT BRIEF HISTORY ON E.P.L. What is now known as the English Premier League has its roots in an earlier league, called the Football League, which was originally founded in 1888. The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football. It was the top level football league in England from its foundation until 1992. Since 1995 it has had 72 clubs evenly divided into three divisions, which are currently known as The Championship, League One and League Two. Promotion and relegation between these divisions is a central feature of the League and is further extended to allow the top Championship clubs to exchange places with the lowest placed clubs in the Premier League. A director of Aston Villa, William McGregor, was the first to set out to bring some order to a chaotic world where clubs arranged their own fixtures. On March 2, 1888, he wrote to the committee of his own club, Aston Villa, as well as to those of Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion, suggesting the creation of a league competition that would provide a number of guaranteed fixtures for its member clubs each season. The first meeting was held at Anderson's Hotel in London on March 23, 1888, on the eve of the FA Cup Final. The Football League was formally created and named in Manchester at a further meeting on April 17 at the Royal Hotel. BRIEF HISTORY ON SUPERSPORT Born in South Africa, executive Koos Bekker completed his MBA from Columbia University in 1984 and returned to his home country thereafter. During his studies, he had followed the rise of pay television in the United States, convinced that the model could work in South Africa. Back in South Africa, Bekker convinced Nasionale Pers (now Naspers) of the idea and a consortium was formed with other media companies, including the defunct Perskor, the Argus Group (now Independent Media) and Johnnic Communications (now Avusa). The South African government was persuaded to award M-Net a broadcasting license, as Nasionale Pers's advertising revenue had shrunk dramatically since the launch of television in 1976. Naspers broadly supported the National Party's policies. In 1986, M-Net was launched as South Africa's first pay-television channel and, along with Canal+, only the second outside of the United States. The channel immediately showed its intention to include sport in its programming lineup, by securing exclusive rights of an important Currie Cup match between Transvaal and Western Province for its first ever broadcast. From 1988, sports coverage on M-Net ran under the banner of M-Net SuperSport. M-Net SuperSport expanded its range of coverage, including live overseas rugby, cricket, golf, boxing and cycling. Following South Africa's readmission into international cricket, SuperSport scored another marketing coup by securing exclusive rights to the 1992 Cricket World Cup. When rugby turned professional in 1995, a deal was struck between the newly formed SANZAR and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. In South Africa, SuperSport was awarded exclusive broadcasting rights of the Super 12 competition, as well as the Tri Nations. Following this deal, rugby gradually ceased broadcasting on the SABC, while SuperSport became a carrier of live rugby broadcasts. At the same time, Naspers expanded its pay-television operations to a satellite carrier. With the launch of DStv in 1995, SuperSport became a multi-channel network and an independent brand, although it was still primarily associated with M-Net. The network made full use of the satellite platform to expand its sports offering: For the Olympic Games, six channels are generally used for live events. In 2007, the SABC lost its exclusive rights to the local Premier Soccer League (PSL) to SuperSport, in a deal worth R1.6 billion. The deal stipulated that some matches had to be shared with the SABC. In August 2011, SuperSport renewed its contract with the PSL for another five years. Since 2011, SuperSport's association with M-Net began to fade, when M-Net split its terrestrial feed from its DStv channel. DStv viewers can no longer watch sports events on M-Net, although terrestrial subscribers still get feeds on the main channel, as well as the Community Services Network (CSN). A Premier Soccer League team bears the channel's name. SuperSport United F.C. was originally known as Pretoria City but bought by M-Net in 1995 after which it was renamed. 2.5 List of Super sport channels • SuperSport 1 HD (South Africa) • SuperSport 1A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 2 HD (South Africa) • SuperSport 2A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 3 HD (South Africa) • SuperSport 3A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 3N (Nigeria) • SuperSport 4 HD (South Africa) • SuperSport 4A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 5 HD (South Africa) • Supersport 5A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 5N (Nigeria) • SuperSport 6 HD (South Africa) • SuperSport 6A (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 7 HD (South Africa & Rest of Africa) • SuperSport 7N (Nigeria) • SuperSport 8 (Southern Africa) • SuperSport 9 (Southern Africa) • SuperSport 9E (Kenya) • SuperSport Blitz (News) • Supersport Select (South Africa and Benin) • SuperSport Select 1 (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport Select 2 (Rest of Africa) • SuperSport Maximo 1 (Portuguese Channel) • SuperSport Maximo 2 (Portuguese Channel) • SuperSport Maxmo 360 (Angola only) (Portuguese Channel) SuperSport 1 SuperSport 1 is the channel which focuses mainly on rugby. It shows all South African rugby matches live. SuperSport 1 also broadcasts live golf SuperSport 2 SuperSport 2 primarily shows Cricket. All international cricket involving the South African national cricket team, as well as certain domestic cricket, is shown on this channel. This channel also broadcasts other sport such as Motorsports including Formula One and World Rally Championship, motorcycle racing including MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship and Cycling. SuperSport 3 SuperSport 3 is a 24 hour soccer channel, the first of its kind in Africa. SuperSport has the exclusive rights of telecasting the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup and other major soccer tournaments. SuperSport 4 SuperSport 4 focuses mainly on domestic soccer matches in South Africa and other African countries through live broadcasts, magazine shows and highlights. They now show Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of their "Supa Diski" shows. The channel also shows many PSL themed news and talk shows under the "PSL TV" brand. These shows air at least one new show nightly. They include Exxtra Time, Back Pages, Mzansi Legends, National First Division Show, PSL News, Thursday Night Live With Robert Marawa, Love PSL and various club magazine shows. All local matches have Zulu with most having Sotho as well. As this channel is locally orientated and is included on the Compact bouquet. SuperSport 5 SuperSport 5 broadcasts different sports such as Golf, Motorsport, Tennis, swimming, athletics etc. It shows live as well as highlights. It also shows soccer when there is an overflow from the Supersport 3 channel. SuperSport 6 SuperSport 6 is an alternate Cricket channel. When there are two or more cricket matches at the same time, the other match is shown on this channel. It also broadcasts Motorsport, athletics and a variety of other sports and magazIne programmes. SuperSport 7 SuperSport 7 also broadcasts a variety of sports including boxing, soccer, athletics, Motorsport, Golf, Tennis and WWE. It broadcasts matches live as well as shows and highlights. SuperSport 7 also broadcasts La Liga and Premier League matches. SuperSport 8 SuperSport primarily broadcasts locally produced highlights packages of the minor sports, including Mountainbiking, Fishing, Trail Running & Motorsport, amongst others. It is used as an overflow channel and broadcasts in Standard Definition. SuperSport Blitz SuperSport Blitz is the channel which broadcasts news and updates regarding different sports from around the world. It was originally called Supersport Update with news in a longer format to that which it is now. This channel is designed to update the people who missed the live broadcasts. They broadcast updates regarding scores and results of matches. When there is more than one PSL match available, the other will be shown here. SuperSport Maximo SuperSport Maximo is the Portuguese-language channel that broadcasts the same events from the other SuperSport channels, available mainly all the countries of the Lusophone Africa, but also in other African countries including South Africa (only for SuperSport Maximo 1). 2.6 THE INFLUENCES OF SUPER SPORT ON E.P.L FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY Generally people use television as their past time, that is to say people love watching television but people do not just watch any telecast program instead they watch programs that capture their interests. It is from this angle that we look at SUPER SPORT contents, apart from the fact that you have variety of programs to watch at your disposal, the contents matter the most. From the survey carried out and based on the researcher's observations, it is open to reason that SUPER SPORT contents direct the day today activities of the Nigerian society. The survey has shown that more than half of the sampled populations watch SPORT programs. Programs like' Champion league, lalega, Spanish league, English league. People stay glued to their television sets because of these notable programs. Television, when appropriately managed and supervised, can be a positive influence in people's lives, especially children. 2.7 POSITIVE INFLUENCES: The Media Awareness Network explains in its article, 'The Good Things about Super sport channel', that channel can be a very powerful and effective learning tool for children/student if used wisely. The article states that the channel can help young people discover where they fit into in the society, develop closer relationships with peers and teach them to understand complex social aspects of communication. Super sport is an inescapable part of modern culture. It provides the entire world with messages from the four corners of the globe, linking people with one another. Super sport has some priceless educational programs which provide wide range of knowledge to people. The researcher would like to state that from the survey carried out, all the respondents agree that Super sport contents have positive influence in their lives. Every channel has the ability to impart positive on the viewers which are society members but at the same time could change the convention families have grown up with. Part from the above mentioned, sport and super sport channels teaches on how to physically fit, which help student to exercise the body and stay healthy, it has helped those student of Fed poly who are loves of sport to winner prizes in the school sport by mainly using one or two of the tartice they learnt from the super sport tactice in their foot ball competitions. It has helped them to cater for the school fees by mainly watching and beting and winning huge amount of money at the viewing center with this school Fed. Polytechnic nekede. Some channels like the 4, air domestic soccer matches in South Africa and other African countries through live broadcasts, magazine shows and highlights. They now show Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of their "Supa Diski" shows 2.8 NEGATIVE INFLUENCES. Television is one of the most prevalent media influences in people's lives. It has become a member of almost every single family and mainly the students in our society. And not just an ordinary member, but a very important one, because the time spent next to it exceeds the amount of time spent with their books. Many of the students no longer reads the book because they spend all the time at the viewing centers, some of them mount Dstv cables only for the aim of watching super sport. The researcher find out that 80 percent are lovers of Super sport and can any amount of money to watch foot ball at the viewing center often than buying and reading their text book as regular as possible. Nowadays, resulting this phenomenon, Student who always go to the view center are influence by bad peer groups. Violence becomes an ordinary way of interaction, alongside with anger when they have noticed that their supporters or liked team are failing. Another issue that calls for concern is, when an individual, especially a child spends a lot of time watching favorite programs can result to a very high possibility of damaging the eye mechanics, and the ability to focus and pay attention could be diverted. Furthermore, another negative influence that is connected with the sight is the spoiling of the hearing due to the shortage of auditory stimulation. Even if the programs watched are not violent, if they are watched per hours may have a deep impact on the personality, causing psychological and physiological problems. All the hidden effects in the films and commercials can subconsciously depress children and even parents. Individuals may become scared of what they had observed on television that it might cause depression and emotional misbalance. Television prevents children from doing their home work and adults from completing their work, influencing in a very bad manner the school grades and work productivity. It can lower the overage level of physical fitness of a person, breaking the coordination. Children being attached to the TV-set loose the possibility to learn the world through real nature, games, sports and so on. In cases like this, men who love watching SUPERSPORTS or women who love watching AFRICAN MAGIC channels are mostly affected. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 RESAERCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This chapter focused on the procedures adopted by the researcher in carrying out the study. it includes; research design, source/methodology of data collection, population and sample size, sample techniques, validity and reliability of measuring instruments and method of data analysis. 3.1 INTRODUCTION The study examines the INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE. 1.0 3.2 RESEACH DESIGN A description survey types is used in this research work because it is descriptive in nature and attempt to describe, interpret, and explain THE INFLUENCE OF SUPER SPORT ON EPL FOLLOWERSHIP BY STUDENT OF FED. POLY NEKEDE. 3.2 SOURCE /METHODOLOGY OF DATA COLLECTION The questionnaires were distributed by hand and collected immediately from the respondents 3.4 POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE The population of this study was made up of all students selected in the four (4) departments. Sample size of 70 staff was used during this research. S/N departments Population 1 Mass com. 40 2 Marketing 20 3 Mechanical eng. 30 4 Science tech. Total 19 109 3.5 SAMPLE TECHNIQUES A sample of four (4) department of fed.poly. nekede was used, mass communication department, marketing department, mechanical eng. Department and science tech department, with total population of 109 student. Department from fed. poly Nekede are represented in this number. S/n Name of department Population Sample 1 mass communication department 40 25 2 marketing department 20 14 3 Mechanical eng. Department 30 21 4 science tech department 19 10 Total Total 109 70 3.6 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF MEASURING INSTRUMENT. The information was vetted by the research supervisor and one other lecturer in measurement and evaluation for content validity and reliability. 3.7 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS The method of data analysis that was used will be presented in tabular form and analyzised in percentage using F÷N×100÷1 F= means frequency /or number of response N= is the total number of response. CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 4.1 INTRODUCTION In chapter three, we explained the method of by which the data collected would be analyzed to produce the results on this statement, we collected the required data and with the use of sample percentage as were analyzed based on their subject to the research question. 4.2 DATA ANALYSIS The data collected was carried out with instrument which is the questionnaire. The analysis on the questionnaire was one part in line with the research question they intend to answer. The questionnaire contains 10 items for clear understanding of the result the data are presented in table. Research Question One: 1. What is E.P.L.? 2. What is super sport? 3. Who is a Student? 4. What is the importance of watching super sport? 5. Who are the E.P.L. followers? 6. Where there are no open conflicts, are there inter-group prejudice and discrimination based on football support/fanaticism? Has there been any evidence of ethnic integrations based on football followership? Research Question Two: Does super sport influence EPL and student Table 4.1 Analyzing the response to test the hypothesis Option No. of response Percentage Agreed 90 83% Disagreed 10 9% Both 5 5% No answer 4 3% Total 109 100% From the above analysis, 83% agreed, 9% disagreed, 5% said both, while 3% said no answer. RESEARCH QUESTION 3 TABLE 4.2 Is super sport channel a negative influence on the student and E.P.L. followership? Option No of response Response in % Agreed 60 55% Disagreed 40 37% Both 9 8% No answer - - Total 109 100% From the above response 55% agreed that super sport is a negative influence, which 37% disagreed and 8% said super sport is both. RESEARCH QUESTION 4 Does E.P.L. add value to the student? Table 4.3 Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 60 55% Disagreed 30 28% Both 10 9% No answer 9 8% Total 109 100% Table 4.3 shows that 55% agreed, that E.P.L. adds value to the students, while 28% disagreed, 9% said both while 8% said no idea. QUESTION 5 Can watching super sport solve a problem to a student? Table 4.4 Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 5 4% Disagreed 90 83% Both 2 2% No ideal 12 11% Total 109 100% QUESTION 6 Can E.P.L. cause inter-groups conflicts Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 85 78% Disagreed 10 9% Both 5 5% No ideal 9 8% Total 109 100% 1. Table 4.5 shows that 75% agreed that E.P.L. can cause of inter-groups conflicts while 9% disagreed, 5% said both while 8% said no idea. QUESTION 7 Is the nature of ethnicity that football support and fanaticism has developed in Nigeria Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 30 28% Disagreed 70 64% Both 9 8% No idea - - Total 109 100% From the above table 4.6 28% Agreed, when 64% disagreed 8% said both. QUESTION 8 Have there been inter-group conflicts as a result of football supports Table 4.7 Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 70 64% Disagreed 39 36% Both - - No idea - - Total 109 100% Table 4.7 shows that 64% agreed while 36% disagreed with the motion. QUESTION 9 Can the use of E.P.L. bring about employment in the society Table 4.8 Option No of respondent Percentage Agreed 60 55% Disagreed 40 37% Both 9 8% No idea - - Total 109 100% 4.4 TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS In the section the hypothesis earlier formulated in chapter one will be tested. Each test enables the research to make inf about the unknown population. HYPOTHESIS ONE H0: Improper usage of super sport E.P.L. viewing center by the student H1: Proper usage of super sport E.P.L. viewing center by the student CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 findings, Conclusions and Recommendation The findings above demonstrate some indications that another kind of ethnicity is forming on the bases of football support/fanaticism. If the observations of Adam (1971), that ethnic identifications occur as a result of group mobilization in the struggle to gain or preserve benefits, and of Weber (1968), that ethnic group is a kind of subjective belief of presumed identity which is an expressed psychological feeling essential to motivate groups to act together over a long time, then a trend may be emerging in Nigeria as confirmed by this research. Fan club identity in Nigeria has grown in the two qualities of ethnicity as identified above. Where in multi-ethnic community, people begin to identify themselves beyond language, ancestral culture and religion, and even political geography, the nature of this ethnicity therefore may be described as having an integrative force for propagating an all inclusive action. Although informally and unconsciously established, the interest and bounding force for bringing diverse people together in lasting friendship and maintenance of their new identity is identifiable. Football support and fanaticism have developed an observable group psycho-emotional feeling among members of a fan club over a long period. This expressed feeling has led to group actions and violence; its ability to propel individuals into conflict is high. Although violence is growing as a result of football support, it is yet not at an alarming rate. The causes of these conflict arguments, rough talks, mockery, and negative statements are also fueled by intolerance and impatience. Overzealous fans sometimes do not leave any considerations for other fan clubs when expressing their support and love for their own club side and will make it impossible for other people to have their respite, sometimes triggering others to challenge. The result of this is conflict and heightened tension at the viewing centre. Among the big four clubs of the British Premiership league, all have shown indications of inter-group conflict and prejudices as well as dislike. They seem to have carried it, above just leisure; pleasure and entertainment, to a level that resembles ethnic suspicions, and even. The consolation for this development is that it has been bringing people of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria together. In conclusion, it would be seen that football support has the ability to one integrate multiple ethnic groups, showing a great potential for peace-building and conflict transformation. The violent, conflict-promoting tendencies show an early warning sign for all peace-builders. Although conflict and violence cannot be avoided because of their ability to stir emotions and human desire for winning, football support will bring about the desired integration and unity that Nigeria desires. To gain in full the benefits of football supports and followership, however, some kind of peace education is sorely needed, education which teaches tolerance, mutual consideration, self control, speech control, human rights, and social orders, strengthening equality and justice among sportsmen/women and viewers and supporters of football and other games alike. This kind of education will remind fans that it is all games and skill, and to accept and endure defeat. In the same vein, winners most be taught how to show friendship to fans of losing teams, in the spirit of win-win. Sports commentators, analysts, sports magazines, and associations must awaken, along with peace-builders, to attack this early warning of possible conflict. Sports programs on the media should include before the match and after the match, peace education to prevent any violence and engender peace and friendship. REFERENCES Burgess, M. E (1978). The Resurgence of Ethnicity: Myth or Reality? Ethnic and Racial Studies 1. 3. 34-35. Coakley, J. J. (1994). Issues and Controversies. Sport in Society. St Louis: C.V. Mosby. Doucet, I. (ed.) (1996). Resource Pact for Conflict Transformation, London: International Alert. Imobighe, T.A. (2003) (Ed.). Civil society and ethnic conflict management in Nigeria. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited. Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) (2003). Conflict Assessment Reports: Abuja, Presidency. Jeong, H. 2000. Peace and conflict studies USA, Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. Majaro-Majesty H.O (2008). Influence of conflict transformation strategies on peacebuilding in selected multi-ethnic communities in Nigeria. PhD seminar presented to the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Majaro–Majesty H.O. (2006). ‘Evaluation of conflict transformation strategies for peace building in selected multi-ethnic communities of Nigeria’, PhD seminar presented to the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Mull, R., Bayless, K., Ross, C.M., Jamieson, L.M. (1997). Recreation sport management. 3rd edn. McG raw-Hill Higher Education. Osaghae, E, E (1994). Ethnicity and its management in Africa. Lagos, Malthouse Press Limited. Otite, O, 2000. Ethnic pluralism, ethnicity and ethnic conflicts in Nigeria. Ibadan; Shaneson C. I. Limited. Parsons, T (1954). Essay in Sociological Theory. Free Press: Greece. Sandole, D. A Comprehensive Mapping of Conflict and Conflict Resolution: A Three Pillar Approach. Retrieved December 2006, http://www.gmu.edu/academic/pcs/sandole.htm United Nations (2003). Sports and Peace, Press conference by director, UN. New York Office of Sports for Development Peace. Weber, M. (1968). Gemeinschaft and gesellschaft: Grundriss der verskehenden sociologie. Kiln-Berlin Kiepenhever and Witsch.

THE ROLE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS OF NIGERIA (A CASE OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC (U.B.A) ONITSHA-ANAMBRA STATE)

TITLE PAGE THE ROLE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS OF NIGERIA (A CASE OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC (U.B.A) ONITSHA-ANAMBRA STATE) BY IFEZUE IFEYINWA UKAMAKA 2006/1879/BF A RESEARCH PROJECT WORK PRESENTEDM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, NEKEDE OWERRI- IMO STATE. IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF NATIONAL DIPLOMA (ND) IN BANKING AND FINANCE. AUGUST, 2008 APPROVAL PAGE This project work has been approved by the department of banking and finance, school of business and management technology, federal polytechnic Nekede, Owerri imo state in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of material diploma (ND) in banking and finance. ----------------------------- ------------------------------ MR KANU, N.O.N Date (Project supervisor) ----------------------------- ------------------------- MR J.U OSUBOR Date (Head of Department) ---------------------------- -------------------------- (External Examiner) Date ______________________ __________________ Student Date DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the God Almighty for life spared, good health and infinite mercy throughout this programme. And also to my beloved parents and siblings. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I will ever remain grateful to our heavenly father for his immense blessings, guidance and protections throughout my rigorous academic pursuit I appreciate the love, understanding, support and given to me beloved parents Mr and Mrs John Ifezue, my brothers and sisters, Onyeka, Chinenye, Ikenna, Nkechi and chika. I also acknowledge the contribution and help of my uncle Mr Osita ucheagu. My sincere regard goes to my supervisor Mr Kanu N.O.N for his professional criticisms, Contribution and efficiency in guiding this work inception to completion. My God also bless my HOD Mr J.U osubor. Finally, I wish to express my profound gratitude to my friends, Victor, Chinonso, Chuks, Daniel and Oscar. Especially uchenna mbagwu whose efforts and encouragements are numerous throughout ND programme may God bless and reward all abundantly. Amen. ABSTRACT Banks operate with a number of branches at the urban rural areas. At the rural areas, the rural branches are intended to mobilize savings from the rural people dwellers and bring development to these rural communities this trying to halt rural- urban face drift. The objective of this study is to appraise the performance of commercial banks in rural areas with the view of finding out how they carry out their role. Secondly, to identify the problems facing the commercial banks operating in rural areas. Chapter one will deal with the introduction, brief historical back ground of the study, establishing the purpose of study, statement of the problem, research questions, significance of the study, limitations and finally the definitions terms used in the work. Chapter two will deal with literature review, and easy referencing. It consists of extracts from primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected by the use of questionnaire and interview, while the secondary data were collected from textbooks, journals and other publications. Chapter three will dissents steps taken by the researcher in the order in which they were carried out, high lighting the basis research design, sources of data and qualitative technique used. Data collected were analyzed in chapter four using distribution table and tested using percentage method and the discussions of the findings were made. In chapter five, the summary, recommendation and conclusions were made. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Approval page Dedication Acknowledgement Abstract Table of contents CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 background of the study 1.1 Statement of the Problems 1.2 Purpose of the Study 1.3 Objectives of the Study 1.4 Research Questions 1.5 Significance of the Study 1.6 Scope of the Study 1.7 Limitations of the Study 1.8 Definitions of Terms CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 introduction 2.2 Evolution of Commercial Banking in Nigeria 2.3 Structure of Commercial Banks 2.4 Management Structure of Commercial Banks 2.5 Features of Commercial Banks 2.6 Functions of Commercial Banks 2.7 The Roles of Commercial Banks in Economic Development of Rural Areas. 2.8 United bank for Africa (UBA)’s contribution in the Economic Development of Rural Areas using their 2007 Abridged Financial Statements 2.9 Problems of Commercial Banks in Rural Areas. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 research Design of the Study 3.2 Population and Sample of the Study 3.3 Sources of Data 3.4 Method of Data Collection 3.6 Sample and Sampling Technique 3.7 Method of Data Analysis CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 4.1 Data Presentation 4.2 Data Analysis 4.3 Test of Research Questions 4.4 Discussion on Findings CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary 5.2 Conclusion 5.3 Recommendations BIBLOGRAPHY APPENDIX CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION Banking system is an essential ingredient in the development of any national economy. The traditional business of banking is financial intermediation between surplus and deficit-spending segments of the economy. Though banking is not yet so common among Nigerians in the rural areas, but banking practice has grown considerably. Days are gone when people have keep their money in their houses and economic transactions were on very small scale. Economic transactions that the banks are imperation to facilitate their success. Commercial banking started in Nigeria before 1892.The Africa Banking Corporation was incorporated by some South African (A.B.C) function for only two years. Its assets and habilities were taken over by the British bank for West Africa in 1894. Commercial banking institution that existed before 1929 can be best described as expatriate banks or supra national banks. The ownership structure and management were foreign dominated. The first four decades of commercial banking in Nigeria was a period in which there was indigenous bank and the few supra- territorial banks that existed were very discriminatory against Nigerian entrepreneurs. This geared the indigenous individuals to own a bank, which would be Nigerian by all standards, pursuing Nigerian missions and would also be Nigerian in its policies. The merchant bank limited was the result of the concerted effort of Dolenty and H.A. subair. The bank failed in 1936. Inspite of the failures, the determination of Nigerians to own, control and manage their own bank continued. Olusanya 1978 defined bank as an institution that solicit for and accept deposits, repayable on demand thereby providing a safe custody for and undertaking a liability on such deposits. There are two forms of banks. They are: central Bank and the commercial Banks. Asuzu 1995 sees the central bank as the government bank that is responsible for the printing and issuing of currency notes and coins. It is also the bankers bank because it regulate the activities of the commercial banks and responsible for the monetary policies of the country. Commercial bank is retail financial institutions specializing in receiving deposit and other valuables, remitting foreign and domestic exchange, collecting cheque, drafts, notes and other obligations on behalf of their customers. It could be seen as the heart of an economy. They hold deposits of millions for persons, government and other business units. They make funds available through their lending and investing activities to their customers. Since commercial banks are the only accessible bank to the general public and people in rural areas, their role in economic development cannot be over-emphasized. On people and it only has meaning if the takes various form and shape. It ranges from political, social, and cultural to economic. But the purpose of this study is for economic aspect. As pointed out earlier, development only has meaning if the people concerned benefit from it. Commercial bank are the only accessible bank to the people and it is only through these banks that people in the rural areas benefits from the services of the banks. The importance of services of the banks lies in the fact that they provide the people in rural communities with essential tools for development in the areas. BACKGROUND OF STUDY Bank in Nigeria have been commended for the detritions quality of services rendered to customers. One hears and receives compliments about the unbusiness- like attitude of banks officials in their day to day interaction with the public Masi (1992), to withdraw money from an account take hours whereas the banks are to anxious to receive deposits from people. Thus, the general consensus from all quarters is that the service being rendered to customers by commercial banks in rural areas is nothing to write home about. They assumed the policy of “take it or leave it” as motto towards their customers. Since the deteriorating services is common among banks in rural areas, they feel comfortable that whatever way they behave to the customers the customers have alternative choice other than to accept it. Wadiri (1980) Nigerian institute of banker” Annual seminar is of the opinion that bank services in this country are characterized almost without exception with service. That the transaction of even most routing invariable involves a long period of waiting. Stressing on this, he pointed out that in some cases, the waiting has to be undertaken in over crowded and ill ventilated banking hall without comfortable seats. Added to this is to irritating indifference and brazen rudeness many customers enduring from bank staff. Ayo (1981) while commenting on how customer from rural areas are being treated by banks official expressed that “one only needs to go to one of these local branches to see how the very few customers the bank get are treated. The number of hours they had to wait before they are attended to and the unfriendly attitude of the cashers in attending to their customers. Write these type of attitude, a local farmer with a very low degree of enlightment coming to the bank for the first time would turn back and never to come back again, as one of the characteristics feature of life in the country side, information would pass round as regard the attitude of the others from going to banks as they are expected of. Erihiri (1980) lamented that, “Another conspicuous omission in our banking industry is the marketing of services to the people in the rural areas” By this the research mean the exposure of the banking industry is capable of offering to the public. Durogaiye (1986) is to view that the quality of services in the countries of all commercial banks in the country to cash a cheque or obtain a bank draft at most commercial banks is often time on all day affair According to Iebueme (1983) principal of the staff training center “in his lecture on professional Bank services in Nigeria at the Nigerian institute of Bankers seminar held from 24th –25th march, declared that “the Nigerian Act 1969 describes a bank as any person who carries on banking business and include a commercial bank, an acceptance house, discount house and other financial institutions” The Banking Amendment Act No.3 of 1970 further defines Banking business as the business of receiving monies from outside source as deposits, irrespective of the payment of interest and the granting of over draft and loans and acceptance of credits or the purchase and securities for account of others or the incoming of the of the obligation to acquire claims in respect of loans prior to their maturity in the assumption of guarantees and other warrantees for others or the effecting of transfers and clearings. Such other, transactions as the minister may on the recommendation of the central bank order, publish in federal government gazette designate as banking business Therefore, banking is a business venture undertaken with motives. For commercial banks, the a acceptance of deposits in current, saving time deposit and payment of such money on demand or at maturity and tending part of the money are imperative in this country Again effiong (1983) declared that, the impact of commercial banks business financial in the rural area determined by a number of factors. We shall examine commercial bank cash flow as a major factor in this regard. The ideal as to relate in flow funds to commercial banks to the pattern out flow in a view to determing the appropriate types of capital that is normally expected to be generated from the commercial banking sectors. 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The problem in this study wants to deal with the hindrances encountered by commercial banks on the process of their operation in rural areas. Some of these problems can be state as follows 1) Lack of manpower of commercial banks passes a problem for them in their operations. 2) Lack of cordial bank /customer relationship in rural areas due to numerous branches 3) Illiteracy of customers in rural areas. 4) Inadequate security outfit in the rural areas to secure the bank premises 5) Insufficient volume of business of the attitude of farmers, hunters, market sellers etc to banking 6) Problem of Accommodation encountered by bank staff 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The concern of this study is on the role of commercial banks in the economic development of rural areas. Specifically, the study focuses on how these banks carry out their role to enhance economic development especially among commercial banks in rural areas. 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The central bank of Nigeria set up a programme of rural banking in 1977 with the primary aim of extending facilities in the rural areas. The scheme that came into being in July, 1977 has the following as it main objectives. 1) To assess the problems encountered by commercial banks 2) To examine the reasons why commercial banks isolate themselves opening branches the rural areas. 3) To help fiancé agriculture through their credit activities and to mobilize inscent rural deposit. 4) To help integrate the rural and urban sector of the economy. 5) To determine the impact of rural banking scheme on the rural dwellers. 6) To determine the extent of the rural banking 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1) What are the basic problems encountered by commercial banks in rural areas? 2) Why does commercial banks isolate themselves from operating in rural areas? 3) How far have the banks gone in financing businessmen in the rural areas? 4) How far have the banks gone integrating the rural and urban sector of the economy? 5) Where impact has the rural banking on the rural dwellers? 6) What is the extent of rural banking in Nigeria? 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1) This study tries to examine how the rural dwellers make use of the bank 2) It also helps in finding out the problems of the rural banking. 3) It goes further to find out if the rural banking scheme has succeeded in embarking on the promotion and cultivating the banking habits, creating of credit for small scale ventures and creating rooms for employment for the population. 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study will not be complete if the researcher failed to focus the mind of the reader on the need and reason why commercial banks do not open their branches in the rural areas. The scope covers only the united bank of African (U.BA) plc Port Harcourt road branch Onitsha in Anambra state. 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The study has many limitations that made the study difficult they include 1) Time and financial constraints 2) Lack of research facilities/equipment such as computers 3) Scanty information base in the sense that there was difficult in reaching and reviewing all relevant materials relating to the subject of the study 4) Un corpora ting of the respondence cased by their illiteracy especially the farmers. 5) Lack of security in the rural areas which made it difficult for the researcher to reach certain areas. 1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS Accessible Easy to approach or enter Dwellers Residues Mobilization prepare for active service, organize for a purpose. Role Person’s or corporation body’s function or duties. Development Make or become larger or organized Rural Area An under-developed place in the country. Economic - Enough to give a good return for by money. Commercial – Engaged in or financed commercial: Bank - Establishment, for safe- keeping of money and valuables CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will review some related literatures as well as the techniques adopted by commercial banks in the development of the rural areas is Nigeria 2.2 EVOLUTION OF COMMERCIAL BANKING IN NIGERIA Kanu, N.O.N (2003); the evolution of commercial banking in Nigeria, its progress and problems have six major phases Phase 1 The free era or uncontrolled banking 1892-1952 Phase 2 Pre-central banker or era of bank failures 1952-1959 Phase3 Era of bank legislation or consolidation 1959-1970 Phase4 Era of indenisation 1970-1981 Phase 5 The Era of expansion and competitive Banking 1981-1988 Phase 6 THE Era of bank distress and failures 1989-1996 Phase 7 Era of Restructuring and innovations 1989-2003 Source: (a) Nwankwo 1980: 46-53; (b) Enwerenzor 1997:186 (c) KANU 2003: 91. 1) FREE OR UNCONTROLLED BANKING ERA: The evolution of modern day commercial banking in Nigeria started with the history of expatriate banks which dates bank to the 19th century when banking activities were first carried out by elder Dempster and company mainly for their own business transactions. Later, commercial banking activities in a more conventional manner were carried out by African Banking Corporation of South Africa, which was established in 1892. Two years later in 1894 the banking of British were Africa (BBWA) was established and it absorbed the banking business of both elder Dempter Company and African Banking Corporation (Nwankwo 1980:65). Although a branch of banks in Nigeria was established by the Royal Niger Company in Calabar in 1999; the BBWA remained the only bank until 1917. 2 PRE-CENTRAL BANK OR ERA OF BANK FAILURES 1952-1957 The free banking era comes to an end when the first banking ordinance of 1952 was promulgated. This ushered in the first banking legislation in Nigeria. The ordinance was to be immediately effective for new banks while existing bank were given up to three months to apply for and obtain license and up to three years actually to be licensed. All these were for the purposes of protecting the interest of depositors and to banking public in general. Following the publication implementation of the banking ordinance, forty banks were registered in 1952 but many of them failed thereby giving credence to the central bank’s description of the period as an era of wild cart banking. 3 ERA OF BANK LEGISLATION OR CONSOLIDATION 1959-1970 The promulgation of the 1958 central bank ordinance ushered in the era of central banking and also set the stage for an orderly and rapid development of Nigerian financial system Adekanya (1983:141) stated that then banking system after the establishment of the central bank of Nigeria became gilded by strict monetry and fiscal policies. The 1969 Banking decree consolidated all the amendments to the 1958 banking act, plugged all possible loopholes and remained in force till 1991 when the central banking of Nigeria Act 24 and banks and other financial institutions act 25 of 1991 was promulgated 4) ERA OF INDIGENIZATION 1970-1981 The spirit of self-reliance necessitated the promulgation of the enterprises promotion decree in 1972. the decree was known as indigenization decree by which the government sought indigerious participate in the ownership management and control of all sectors of the economy. More specially in 1973 according to Enwereuzor (1999:189) and Nwankwo (1980:53) the federal government in pursuance of its policy of ensuring that Nigeria own and control to commanding height of their economy took enough percutage interest in the three biggest foreign bank bring indigenous ownership in these bank to 60percent. 5 ERA OF EXPANSION AND COMPETITIVE BANKING 1981 The eight-year period of this era witnessed increased number of banks and attendant competition among the various banks. According to CBN (1981:32-34) there were 20 commercial banks in Nigeria with six merchant banks in 1981. This number increased to 29 commercial banks and 12 mardant banks in 1986 when structural Adjustment programme (SAP) was introduction of SAP through deregulation led to increased interest and desire for incense to establish new banks. By 1988 when this era ended, the number of bank had risen to 65 made 41 commercial banks, and mar chart banks 6) ERA OF BANK DISTRESS AND FAILURES 1989-1996 After the massive bank failures of the 1950s the Nigerian financial sector which had hitherto enjoyed boom in its business which was brought about by the rise in oil prices in the 1770s and the deregulation in 1986, found itself again in the biter experience of bank distress and failures Distressed banks in Nigeria were only 8 in 1990. The number rose to 24 in 1993 and a total of 33 terminally distressed banks had their license revoked in 2002 while two banks head been declared distressed as all August 2003. By 1995, holding action was placed on 37 banks made up of 27 commercial banks and 15 merchants banks. There were addition to hundreds of other financial institutions that was under ground with in the same period. By march 1997, about 50 commercial and merchants banks had been adjudged distressed (Alao 1997:2). These and other unexposed cases confirmed the distress virus had eaten deep into the fabrics of the financial sector within this period 7) ERA OF RESTRUCTURING 1996-2000 The level of distress in the financial sector necessitated the need to restructure the financial sector. The restructuring exercise began with the increase in the banks to the uniform level of #500 million with effect from 1st January, 1997 All existing banks were required to reapplies by 31st December, 1998. However, in 2001, minimum paid up capital for both banks was increased to #1billion and #2 billion for new banks. The CBN net were also amended among other provisiors, which was to for stall further distress in the financial sector. Furthermore, the provisions were meant to position Nigeria’s financial sector to meet the demands of the 21st century. 2.3 STRUCTURE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS In Osubor and Okafor (2006) institutional finance, the structure of a bank reveals not only the organizational framework of the banks, but the composition of her assets and habilities. In addition a bank’s structure will also be influenced by its size and ownership. The size of a bank, the number of branches it maintains, and the amount of deposit liability. The ownership structure of commercial banks in Nigeria has steadily changed since 1969 legislation when banks were required to be locally incorporated. The 1972 indigenization decree and the 1975/76 budget, speech of the federal military government clearly changed the ownership structure of commercial banks in the country and this tread continued till date. Commercial banks all over the world have what is known as assets and liabilities. These assets and liabilities of a bank tell us the uses and sources of bank funds or resource. Nigeria commercial banks are therefore no exception to the above statement. However, it is important to note that the composition of these assets and liabilities do differ from country to country. This could be partially due to what a particular country recognizes as assets and liabilities and the problem of nomenclature. 2.4 MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NIGERIA According Kanu (2003), the management structure of commercial banks in Nigeria whether of mixed or indigenous ownership is organized along the line of former expatriate banks, which of course is in line with the British banking system. The management structure is made up of: 1. Board of Directors set up by the proprietors of the banks 2. A chairman/chief executives 3. General managers. Area and Branch managers. This order may not be ideal for all banks, some banks management structures differ significantly from the above. For instance, some banks do not have area managers but branch managers while others have both. The size of the bank determines whether it will have area and branch managers or branch managers only. OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE All commercial banks in Nigeria adopt the pattern of British clearing banks in their operational structures. This system is the branch banking system, which is characterized by few large banks with wide network of branches spread throughout the country. In 1980 for instance, Nigeria had only 25 commercial banks with 1100 branches, spread all over the country. By 1993 the number had risen to 120 banks made up of 66 commercial banks and 54 merchant banks with 2479 branches (CBN Annual report 1994: 15 and 50) 2.5 FEATURES OF COMMERCIAL BANKS According to Osubor (1981:25) commercial banks are the nation most important financial institutions. They are unique in the performance of service and are distinguished from other forms of financial institutions or intermediaries because of the following characteristics. 1. Commercial banks hold the nations money supply. 2. They are the only financial intermediaries whose demand deposit circulates money. 3. Commercial banks lending can create additional bank deposit through redeposit of the money by the borrower unless the public choose to holds more currency. 4. They have the sole power to create money through the monetization of debt or through a promise to pay IOU, and also the power to deposits money. 2.6 FUNCTIONS OF COMMECIAL BANKS According to Osubor and Okafor (2000), banks are the major establishment for rapid and suitable economic growth and development of any nation. They perform a number of functions, some of which includes the following: 1 Banks carryout intermediation functions by moving funds from surplus to deficit units from areas of relative surpluses to areas of relatively scarcity. 2 Funds mobilization: By establishing various banks accounts notably savings accounts, time accounts,etc, commercial banks are able to mobilize funds for investment. 3 Making payment on demand: One of the important functions of commercial banks is meeting payment on demand. They operate current and savings accounts and holders of these accounts can demand payment to bearer. 4 Credit Expansion: Commercial banks extend money to worthy customers. It can be in form of overdraft or term loan. Most banks today maintain a minimum lending rate of about 22 percent depending on Central Banks prime rate to commercial banks. 5 Inculcating of Banking habits: Commercial banks inculcate banking habits in the society by creating banking awareness and public enlightenment programmes designed to explain the role and functions of banks. 6 Financing International trade: Commercial banks through her foreign exchange department or international banking department carryout foreign exchange business, open letters of credit and help international travelers. 2.7 THE ROLE OF COMMERIAL BANKS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS Without prejudice the commercial banks have made useful contribution in the economic development of rural areas, such as commerce and industry. However, they provide the following service to the customers: 1. Provision of Credit: Commercial banks understand, realize and take active part in providing credit for industrial, commercial, agricultural, individual and the public sector of the rural areas. 2. Expertise Advise and Funds: Commercial banks also provide the present farmers, artisans, traders and other small-scale business located in the rural areas with expertise advice and fund. Hence in 1977, the Agricultural credit guarantee scheme was introduced and many farmers now have access to bank credit. Commercial banks have also acquired improved credit appraisal capability for the term lending, financial, advisory services and also for loan syndication. 3. Redemption of Foreign Exchange: Commercial banks can also help the potential investors in redeeming the foreign exchange. This is because Nigeria banks can act as intermediaries in the nation’s debt conversion. 4. Creation of Money: The power of commercial banks to create money is of great economic significance to rural dwellers. It results in the elastic credit system that is necessary for economic progress at a relatively steady rate of growth. If bank credits were not available, their expansion of our production facilities and operatives would be surely limited under such conditions, productive unit would be forced to maintains larger working balance to meet the fluctuating requirement of funds. Such a practice would be uneconomic since larger sum have to be held idle for some period, while during the seasonal peaks of business activity such might be insufficient. 5. Encouragement of Saving for Investment: Commercial banks perform a very important role to rural areas by providing facilities for the pooling of savings and making them available for economically desirable purpose. The saver is rewarded by the payment of interest on his savings, which are safe, and in a highly liquid form. The pooled funds are made available to businessmen in the area who may use them for the expansion of their productive capacity and to customers of their items as housing and consumers goods and services. Our society enjoys a high degree of affluence that enable us to save substantial portion of our income. A large part of these savings flows into the savings department of commercial banks. 6. Employment Opportunities: The establishment of banks in rural dwellers. And this has helped to reduce the rural-urban drift for search of job. Infact the number of people given employment since the inception of the rural banking scheme is very impressive. ANALYSIS OF THE ABOVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT USING COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS From the above financial statement, it is seen that the total assets of the current year (2007) was higher than that of the base year (2000) but the value of same item in 2006 were higher than some of 2007 items. Example cash and short term funds in 2006 was N46,36377 while that if the 2007 was 158,433251, loans and advances was 45,111,173 in 2006 while in 2007 it was N107,570,578. But in all, the value or total assets in 2007 was N328,615,114 which is higher than that of 2006 which was N174,533,866 that means that there may be increase in the value of some assets in 2007 more than 2006. On the liabilities side, it can be seen that compensation due to insured deposits was higher in 2007, while due to banks while the liabilities due to banks was higher in 2006. United Bank of Africa (U.B.A) Plc incurred taxation payable of N1, 751833 in 2007 while in 2006 N699,109. This might be as a result of increase in the number of depositors or customers. The bank also incur higher deferred taxation in 2007 than in 2006 and in shareholder’s funds, the difference was only N508, 995. 2.8 THE PROBLEMS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN RURAL AREAS. In as much as the commercial banks contribute a lot to the economic development or rural areas, they also have some constraints that they encountered and which cannot be over emphasized. These hindered the ability of the commercial banks to carry out fully its set objectives. However, the commercial banks are required by law to lend in short term basis. In addition, the commercial banks are retailers in the banking industry and as a result, the huge capital requirement on long-term basis of an industry is Infact against the sated principle of commercial banks. This makes if impossible for banks to lend or raise loan for petty traders in the rural areas who could not meet the requirement for good lending. LACK OF MANPOWER: Banks also experience lack of manpower in its operations. This is as a result of urban migration, which is characterized with rural areas. Hence, banking is a technical profession that requires a technical expert. It is however a known fact that over 75% of rural areas are illiterates. PROBLEM OF INSECURITY: The bank experience the problem of attack by armed rubbers, as little or no security is made available in the rural areas. GOVERNMENT POLICIES Furthermore, strict and stringent measures imposed on commercial banks by government and the central bank act as a problem to the commercial banks in their operation in the rural areas. As some of these policies made by CBN may be unfavourable to the commercial banks. LACK OF CAPITAL: Commercial banks in rural areas also lack capital. This is because people in rural areas are risk averse. They rather choose to keep their cash idle than investing it in the banks which will enable the banks to have enough capital to lend to its customers. BANKS STAFF AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP: Banks head offices are all in the big cities and it is from there that they send staff to rural branches. In most cases, this results in sending an employee to a strange community with different culture, language and values from his own. Language barriers can easily cause misunderstanding, has in some cases resulted in a bank officers being referred to as disrespectful and pompous. INSUFFICIENT VOLUME OF BUSINESS The prevalent economic activity in most rural communities is agriculture. And agriculture is yet to be mechanized in Nigeria and lead to low turnover. There are no industries or import and export oriented forms in these areas and this hinders the growth of banking business. PROBLEM OF ILLITRACY; In contrast with problem view there is enormous reserve of funds in the rural areas. This is done to the fact that most of them are illiterate. PROBLEM OF ACCOMODATION: As a result of poor accommodation facilities, banks officials have been known to be reluctant in accepting transfer to rural areas due to lack of facilities in the areas. PROBLEM OF ACCESSIBILITY Poor and insufficient communication system is a threat to the control of diffused branch network in the banking industry. This is because in most rural areas, communication system is not even there; talk less of their work ability. These system include telephone, telex or radio message gadgets and bad roads lining the rural areas to the nearest urban area. This also hinders the growth of commercial bank in rural areas. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLGY 3.1 Design of the Study: It is well known fact that the greater population of Nigerians lives in rural areas. These rural people know little about banking, Infact, they do not participate in the nations banking system and consequently their participation in overall economic activity of the nation is only marginal. Thus, they are not in a position to raise loans to finance their projects. The productivity of the people especially in agricultural output is very low as a result of these handicaps. It is suggested that if the rural banking scheme is efficiently expanded and if the rural people are adequately motivated to open bank accounts, the nations will witness a very significant increase in overall rural productivity given the large population of the rural areas, the increase will translate into a major increase in the gross national product. 3.2 Population and Sample of the study: In the choice of the population sample for this study, the sample was drawn from a population of the financial institutions in Nigeria from where the samples of different commercial banks are selected. The population sample is homogenous because United Bank for Africa Plc Onitsha is selected from commercial banks in Nigeria. In order to broaden it the researcher used all the various departments instead of just concentrating on the administration section only. 3.3 Sources of Data In the collection of relevant data for this study, both primary and secondary data were used. Primary Data: The primary data for the research was collected through the use of personal interview with the bank officials and customers enable the researcher obtain more information on the stated topic. The interview with the bank officials was a written interview while that of the customers was an oral interview. Secondary Data: In addition to the primary source of data collection, secondary source of data collection was employed too. This was aimed at argumentation of the data from primary source and for the purpose of reviewing related literature on the issue. This involved the extraction of relevant information from textbooks, magazines, journals, newspapers and other publications. 3.4 Method of Data Collection and Analysis: In this study, the researcher applied three method of data collection, which includes: 1. QUESTIONNAIRE: A structured written question form was distributed to the respondents in which they are required to fill and give some useful information needed by the researcher. 2. INTERVIEW: This is a verbal communication between the researcher and the respondents. It is a face-to-face interaction between the researcher and the respondent in order to generate enough information on the study. 3. OBSERVATION: This is any means of gathering data through variety of senses such as seeing, hearing, felling or smelling the object being used. This method is a means of watching, counting, measuring and recording events and people’s behaviour in such a way that the dat5a can be analyzed and interpreted. It is used because it offers the researcher the advantage of recording events as they occurred, reduction of bias and more objective data. 3.5 Technique of Data Analysis: The percentage method of analyzing data was used. The result was presented in table form or narrative form. In some case’s both are used. In the data analysis technique, the researcher applied simple statistical technique, the researcher made use of percentage. This method was used to find the percentage value corresponding to each option in each analyzed data; it helped in easy analysis and a glance comprehension of the respondent opinions concerning the research topic. 3.6 Sample and Sampling Techniques: In this study, the sampling technique used is the percentage random sampling techniques. Every unit of the population has a known probability and chance of being selected. The starting point called random start is normally chosen at random and subsequently every unit selected until the required sample size is obtained. Example : This percentage is expressed thus: R x 100 N 1 Respondent x 100 Sample size 1 Where R represents the number of respondents N represents the total number of the sample or sample size. And 100 represent the total percentage. The selection was done in simple random sampling without replacement. CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 4.1 DATA PRESENTATION This chapter is specifically for the references of drawing conclusion for this study based on the results of question asked the customers and bank officials of United Bank of Africa (U.B.A) Onitsha branch. Seven questions were designed for the purpose and administered by the researcher. Responses Frequency Percentage(%) Yes 12 40 No 18 60 Total 30 100 S/N Responses Percentage (%) 1 Accepting deposits Yes 25% 2 Giving business advice Yes 10% 3 Granting loan and over draft Yes 50% 4 Maintaining cash holding Yes 5% 5 All of the above Yes 10% Total 100% The data above represents the questions which the researcher used in collecting various information in compliance with the methods stated in the preceding chapter (3). 4.2 DATA ANALYSIS TABLE 1 1. Does commercial bank perform any role in our economic development? Details Respondents Percentage(%) Accepting deposit 25 25% Giving Business Advice 10 10% Granting loan and overdraft 10 5% Maintaining cash holding 50 5% All of above 5 10% Total 100% The above table shows that 100% agreed that the banks perform certain role. Out of this number 25% are of the view that the banks accept deposits, 10% also feel that the banks are there to give business advice while 50% have view that commercial banks are out to give loan and overdraft. 5% of the respondents agreed that commercial banks maintain can holding and lastly 10% agreed that the banks perform all the above functions. TABLE II 2. Are you happy with banking service in your area? No of bank customers yes No Total No of respondents 66% 34% 100% Percentage (%) 66% 34% Table II above revealed that out of 100% customers, 66% said that they are happy with the banking services in their area while 34% said that they are not happy with the banking services in their area. TABLE III 3. How can Banking services be improved? Details Responses No of Responses Percentage (%) Huge interest rate Yes 28 20% Granting loan and overdraft Yes 20 20% Quick services Yes 50 50% Giving business advice Yes 2 2% Total 100 100% The table above showed that out of 100 customers interviewed, 20% of them agrees that banking services can be improved by giving huge interest rate to customers, 28% were of the view that their services can be improved by granting loan and overdraft and 50% go for rendering quick services to their customers while 2% of the customers agreed that it can be done by giving business advice to customers. Table IV 4. Has the services rendered by commercial bank improved the welfare of their customers in rural area? Type of bank customers Responses Responses Percentage Saving account holders Yes No Current account holders 66 34 100% Fixed deposit account holders 66 34 100% In the above table 66% of the bank customers agreed that their living conditions have been improved by the services provided by the commercial banks. Table V 5. Does your bank perform some roles in the economic development of this area? Responses No of responses Percentage Yes 100% 0% No 100% 0% The table above reveals that the commercial banks in the rural area perform some roles in the economic development of the areas. Such roles include accepting deposit, granting loan and overdraft to customers, acting as agent of payment to the customers and also giving business advice to customers. Table VI 6. Does your bank encounter any problem in discharging her duties in that area? Details Responses No of respondents Percentage Accommodation Yes 2 2% Staff No 1 1% Social facilities Yes 2 2% No of bank officers 5 5% In the table above, out of five banks officials interviewed, 2% is of the view that their problem is accommodation, 1% is of the view that they are lacking competent staff while 2% said that their problem is lack of social facilities in the area. Table VII 7. Does the government give any assistance to commercial banks? Assistance Responses No of responses Percentage (%) Aid and grants Yes 20 20% Business advice Yes 20 20% Protect from fraud Yes 40 40% None of the above Yes 20 20% The table above reveals that the commercial banks in rural areas receive some assistance from the government and about 20% of the assistance are in form of aid and grants. Then it is done only where the banks are in trouble. Again, another 20% of the assistance is in form of business advice guidelines. The 40% is in form of protection from fraud in which case they provide police security to guide the banks against thieves. 4.3 TEST OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS From the analysis made, the research question can be tested with this formula using percentage method. Percentage % = F * 100 N 1 Where F = total number of frequency N = total number of respondents TEST FOR QUESTION ONE 1. What are the problems encountered by commercial banks in rural areas? Responses Frequency Percentage Yes 35 70% No 15 30% Total 50 100% Percentage = 35 x 100 50 1 = 70% 15 x 100 50 1 = 30% Decision Rule: The table above showed clearly that 35 respondents representing 70% said yes, meaning that commercial banks encountered a lot of problems in the rural areas while 15 in 30% are of the view that commercial banks encounters no problem in the rural areas. TEST FOR QUESTION TWO 2. Does commercial banks perform any role in out economic developments? Responses Frequency Percentage% Yes 29 58% No 21 42% Total 50 100% Percentage 29 x 100 50 1 = 58% 21 x 100 50 1 = 42% Decision Rule: Out of 58 respondents 29 said that commercial banks perform roles in our economic development while only 21 out of 42 said that No. So we decide that commercial banks perform a lot of roles in our economic development. TEST FOR QUESTION THREE 3. How can the banking services in your area be improved? Responses Frequency Percentage % Yes 35 70% No 15 30% Total 50 100% Percentage 35 x 100 50 1 = 70% 15 x 100 50 1 = 30% Decision rule: 35 respondents representing 70% said yes that the banking services in their areas need to be improved while only 15 respondents representing 30% said no. So we conclude that the banking services need to be improved in rural areas. 4.4 DISCUSSION ON FINDINGS The researcher identified many questions which relates to the role of commercial banks in economic development of rural areas. It was as a result of these questions while the study aims at achieving that gave rise to the question in the questionnaires, which the researcher has just analyzed. It was on these questions that this discussion on findings will be based. The finding showed that many of the customers agreed that services rendered by commercial banks improved their welfare and those commercial banks performs important roles in the economic development of their area. The customers are also of the view that banking services need to be improved especially in rural areas. On the side of the bank officials based on the findings, they are of the view that they encounter a lot of problem in discharging their duties in the rural areas which involves lack of accommodation, lack of social facilities etc, and therefore, need some assistance of the government for proper services. CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1 SUMMARY No bank is happy over these increased criticisms although perfections have never been reached in any part of the country. Surely, the bankers are always making vigorous attempts to give efficient services to their customers. The public expect bankers to improve the standard of services in order to ensure even development among urban and rural areas. Therefore, it is only banks that are expected to improve upon their services to satisfy their customers and will continue to enjoy the patronage of the people. The present situation where customers are neglected to the background and treated with non-challant attitude does not augur well for the banks. In this write-up, the researcher high-lighted the contribution which banks can make towards the economic development of rural areas. 5.2 CONCLUSION Conclusively, commercial banks have greater parts to play in the economic development of rural of Nigeria. If there have been enough commercial banks in the rural areas. I believe that Nigeria will not be seen as under developed country. On that note, commercial banks are encouraged to open branches in rural areas. Again, banks are not expected to show favoritisms or particularity in given of loans and overdraft. 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS The researcher wishes to make the following recommendation which would facilitate the affective carrying out of banking roles in rural areas. Banks should put a stop to lending to only those who have accounts with them. To this, the researcher recommended that any interested person who meets their requirements should be given loan. Poor people should also be given loan. Government should try to define the role of commercial banks to the rural dwellers so as to help them understand clearly what the roles of commercial banks are all about. Through this, rural areas can react positively and not negatively to commercial banks. All commercial banks should actively involve in the saving and investment process. The rural dwellers should continue their various business in rural areas as there should be enough money and should not drift to urban areas so that The economic development of rural areas should be enhances by the commercial banks. Finally in order to alleviate the unemployment problem that is common in our rural areas, commercial banks should try to device a means through which some of our graduates will be absorbed and employed. BIBLIOGRAPHY Adekanye Elements of Banking in Nigeria. Grahen Burn Publishers 1983. Anyanwu A. Research Methodology in Business and Social Sciences. Owerri Canum Publishers Nig. Ltd 2000. Asuzu C.C,N Elements of Banking in Nigeira. Ekwulobia, Theo Onwuka and sons Publishers 1995. Ayo Olusanya A New Approach to Economic of West Africa. Ijebu-ode, Kola Sonya Press Nigeira Ltd 1978. Ifebueme N Principles of Staff Training on Professional Banking in Nigeria. Jos, published by the Nigeria Institute of Bankers 1983. Kano N.O.N Comparative Banking with Cotemprary Issues. Owerri Millenuim Publishers Ltd 2003. Nwankw G.O Bank Management Lagos Malt House press Ltd 1991. Osagie E Element of Economics, Principles, Policies and Essay. Ibadan, Univesity publishing press ltd 1975. Osubor and Okafor Institutional Finance (A fundamental Approach). Owerri Joag International press Lyd 2006. APPENDIX School of Business Studies Department of Banking & Finance Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri- Imo state. Dear Sir/Madam, Request for Response to Questionnaire I humbly request for responses to questionnaire. This questionnaire is purely for academic exercise. It is therefore important that you attempt to be fair as possible in your answers so as to avoid wrong results. Your kind co-operation is highly needed as this will contribute a great deal to the study being carried out. Thanks Yours faithfully Ifezue Ifeyinwa .U. QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Name of Respondents ______________________ 2. Post/Designation _________________________ 3. Name of Organization ______________________ 4. Department/Section _______________________ Please tick (v) where appropriate or detect Yes or No where applicable. 1. Does commercial bank perform any role in our economic development? a) Accepting deposit ( ) b) Giving business advice ( ) c) Maintaining cash holdings ( ) All of the above ( ) 2. Are you happy with banking services in your area? Yes ( ) No ( ) 3. How can banking services be improved? a) Huge interest rate ( ) b) Granting overdraft ( ) c) Quick service ( ) d) Giving business advice ( ) 4. Has the services rendered by commercial banks improve the welfare of the customers? Yes ( ) No ( ) 5. Does your bank perform some roles in the economic development of this area? Yes ( ) No ( ) 6. Does your bank encounter any problem in discharging her duties in this area? Accommodation ( ) b) Staff ( ) c) Social facilities ( ) 7. Does the government give any assistance to commercial banks? a) Aids and grants ( ) b) Business advice ( ) c) Protect from fraud ( ) d) None of the above ( )