Impact Assessment of Bank Consolidation on the Performance of Commercial Banks in Nigeria

This study focuses on an impact assessment of the consolidation exercise on the performance of commercial banks in Nigeria. While prior studies focused on the financial performance of banks (with emphasis on profitability), the main thrust of this study was on how the consolidation exercise had affected different areas of commercial banks in Nigeria other than profitability. Secondary data were sourced from the annual accounts and statistical bulletins of the CBN and SEC respectively for the relevant years. The data obtained were analysed by means of sensitivity analysis, in addition to the correlation and regression analyses. The results obtained show that the consolidation exercise had positive impact on the selected variables (Non Performing Loans, Liquidity Ratio, Bank Credit To Private Sector and Bank Capital To Asset Ratio) for this study. Based on the above findings, we recommend among others that while efforts are made by the CBN to sustain the increased capital base of banks, a very sound corporate governance framework and effective risk management systems must be put in place to check the level of non-performing loans which seem to be predominant in the industry. The quality of bank credit to private sector and their recovery procedures should also be improved upon. &nbsp

EFFECT OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARD ON CORPORATE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED BANKS LISTED ON NIGERIA STOCK EXCHANGE

In the light of globalisation where foreign investment has become trendy, comparability of financial reports of Nigerian firms and those of other firms across the world has become a concern. Nigerian firms has been mandated to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) is their financial reporting.  This study has examined the effect of the IFRS adoption on the reported performance of Nigerian banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Eight (8) out of the fourteen (14) quoted banks were selected for the study. Four indices of performance employed in the study are profitability using the Return on Equity, Liquidity using total deposit to total loan, loan grants and then market value measured by Price earnings ratio for the period (2011 and 2012). 2011 represented GAAP era while 2012 stands for IFRS adoption. A comparability index for the banks were computed using the Excel Spreadsheet for each of the banks on each variable. Then the One Sample Test was employed for the analyses. The mean was used to answer the research question while the t-statistics tested the hypotheses. The results showed that mean values for profitability, liquidity and market value are greater in the GAAP era (2011) than in the IFRS period (2012), while loan grant has higher for IFRS period (2012). The t-tested indicated none of the variables had significant effect.  Thus the study concluded that IFRS adopted does not have significant effect on bank performance reported in 2011 and 2012. The use of IFRS for all firms as well as incorporation of IFRS guideline in professional training are recommended by this study

Understanding And Explaining The Underpinnings of Creative Accounting in Nigeria: The Cadbury Evidence

The rapid decline in public and investors’ confidence in the management of public quoted companies as a result of reported widespread incidence of ‘widow dressing’, ‘aggressive accounting’or ‘creative accounting’has triggered the need to explore the rationale for such practice. Using Cadbury Nig Plc as a case in point, it is posited in this paper that favorable stock prices tend to give the impression of stability and sustained improvement which in turn, propel to embark on creative accounting in the bid to attract and retain the confidence of shareholders. Arguably, these reasons are offset or nullified by the dangers creative accounting can pose to companies and indeed, the economy. The findings and recommendations of this paper have implications for investors, directors, and policy-makers in Nigeri

MANAGEMENT OF RURAL – URBAN MIGRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE CASE OF ANAMBRA STATE (2004 – 2010)

This study examined Management of Rural-Urban Migration and Economic Development in Nigeria: The case of Anambra State. Relevant data were elicited from both the primary and secondary sources. Questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection. Three hundred and ninety- nine (399) copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents of the three local government areas studied. Subsequently, data were analyzed with simple percentage, and presented in frequency tables for easy comprehension. The hypotheses were also tested using chi-square parametric test (x'2). The study revealed among other things that: The housing estate are mostly owned by individuals or private companies and are very expensive; the transformers provided are not commensurate with the population increase; the state lacks available lands for agriculture as most of the lands are affected by erosion, floods and landslides. The researchers recommended among others that: Government should be in partnership with the people and companies to reduce accommodation problems, government should ensure that materials used for transformers are adequate while making sure that the agricultural extension programmes are well financed in real terms as this will help manage the problems of rural-urban migration and bring about development

Forensic Accounting Education and Forensic Accountants’ Performance in Nigeria

The study sought to determine the relationship between the teaching of forensic accountants’ skills and forensic accountants’ performance in selected federal universities in South-East and South-South Nigeria. Correlational research design was adopted and purposive sampling technique was used in selecting participants for the study. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient statistic with SPSS version 23.0. The study discovered that a positive, high and significant relationship exist between the teaching of litigation and expert witness skills and forensic accountants’ performance. The study concludes that the failure of accounting educators and professionals to develop a unified and robust forensic accounting education curriculum would affect the skill-set of entry level forensic accountants in the world of work. It was recommended among others that universities offering accountancy should develop a stand-alone forensic accounting course at the undergraduate level in order to expose students to forensic skills needed by forensic accountants in determining fraud and corrupt practices in the accounting world

Living with vesico-vaginal fistula: experiences of women awaiting repairs in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

 Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is one of maternal health problems confronting public health workers in Nigeria today. Information on how women suffering from this condition cope is important in that it can inform the design and delivery of programmes and interventions to address the challenges that face victims of VVF. The objective of this study was to highlight how women living with VVF cope with the health problem in Ebonyi state, Nigeria.  In-depth interviews were conducted with ten women awaiting repairs at the National Fistula Centre at Abakaliki in Nigeria. Six of the women have lived with the health problem for more than ten years. Findings show that nearly all the women attributed their health problem to supernatural causes. The women stated that they go through a lot of physical and emotional problems. Some of the ways they have devised of physically coping with the problem include bathing regularly and use of strips of old wrappers as pads. Many of them cope emotionally and financially by attending religious gatherings and having some form of income yielding business. The study recommends the need for repairs to go hand in hand with vocational training so that they will have some income yielding business after repairs. 

Evaluation of Key Determinants of Fraud Free Financial Report: a Focus on Nigeria

The study evaluated the key determinants of fraud free financial reports. Descriptive research design was used. Two null hypotheses were tested using Z-test for proportion, F statistics and Microsoft excel 2010 toolpak. The study revealed that there is significant relationship amongst the following variables; Accounting Standards, Corporate Governance and Internal Controls in determining Fraud Free Financial Report. Furthermore, that in Nigeria to obtain Fraud Free Financial Report emphasis was on Accounting Standards, Internal Controls and Corporate Governance in this order and, Auditor’s Independence, Whistle Blowing and Accountants’ Education received little or no attention. It also revealed that from extant literature Accounting Standards are tools for combating 25% of the eight elements in fraud management cycle while 75% of them are within the purview of Forensic accounting. Hence it recommended that forensic accounting courses should be incorporated into the curriculum of professional accounting institutes in order to equip their members with sufficient skills that would enable them effectively perform their duties as public accountants

Fair Value Measurement versus Historical Cost Accounting: A Comparative Effect on Firms’ Performance in Nigeria

This study comparatively examined the effect of fair value measurement (FVM) and historical cost accounting (HCA) on the performance of quoted firms in Nigeria. Data were sourced from the online published accounts of ten quoted firms for a period of ten years segregated into HCA regime (2007 – 2011) and FVM regime (2012-2016). Descriptive Statistics (Mean) and Inferential Statistics (Paired sample t-test) were employed in the analysis of the data collected with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Findings from the analysis revealed that a positive but insignificant difference exists in the profit after tax of the firms between the FVM and HCA regimes; and that fair value measurement exerts negative but insignificant effect on the earnings per share and return on equity of the firms. The study thus concluded that fair value measurement as it is being practiced and implemented by Nigerian firms, exerts no significant change in firms’ performance as was reported under the HCA regime. It therefore recommended, among other things, that the International Accounting Standards should review the current provisions on the fair value practices in the International Financial Reporting Standards to ensure improved operations of firms across national borders. Key Words: Fair Value Measurement, Historical Cost, performance, Earning per Share, Profit after Tax, Return on Asset

Editorial: Embodying an Anti-Racist Architecture

field: Issue 8 Embodying an Anti-Racist Architecture responds to two appeals. The first is a demand. In September 2020 our students at the Sheffield School of Architecture, University of Sheffield published the ‘Anti-Racism at SSoA: A Call to Action’, a document condemning the ways in which the school and university institution are complicit in systemic racism in architecture, and demanding ‘immediate action and concrete change’. The second appeal is less explicit. In 2007 Renata Tyszczuk and Doina Petrescu launched the inaugural issue of field: a new journal intended to create an open forum for the practice and research of architecture. The first issue was appropriately dedicated to exploring indeterminacy, recognising the difficulty of defining the contours of architectural practice and research. As the name of the publication suggests, the journal emerges from the conviction that research into spatial practices involves, by necessity, ‘interlocking yet distributed fields of knowledge’

Youths and Career Development in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

Abstract This paper is a broad overview of youths and career development i