CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Oxford mini-dictionary explains that capital is “accumulated wealth” or “money with which a business is started’ in banking, capital has these two meanings. At the out-set, capital in the form of issued and paid up shares is money with which the business is started. Overtime, the capital funds of the bank reflect the accumulated (addition of depletion of capital in goods producing business, the needed for capital is obvious as this is required to provide for substantial fixed capital resources in the form of building, plant and machinery and even working capital in form of raw material. The need for capital is not the same for business organizations. In the financial services industry, market forest and contemporary history have accentuated the need for higher capitalization of banks. The professional know how of the operators is another key factor in the inter mediation between the savers and the borrowers. Thus the first banker the Gold smith did not require additional capital beyond what he had. However, today the ingenuity of the banker has been developed so much that we can talk of the banker being engaged in financial engineering.
The federal government of Nigeria, in its annual 1997 budgets, announced the decisions to raise minimum paid-up capital for new banks to N2 billion leaving the existing one to its N500 million. The reason for the N2 billion minimum capital requirements could be broadly classified into the following:
- To curb the current distress in the banking industry by injecting fresh funds into the system with a view to enhancing the financial viability of the banking industry. It was banks which have had their capital bases eroded by inflation believe that the injection of new funds in the form of capitalization would give a new lease to live to most banks operational losses and bad credits.
- To ensure capital adequacy in providing initial an subsequent basic infrastructure for banks operation and expansion without undue reliance on external funding.
- To ensure conformity with international standard in view of the depreciation of the country’s currency vis-à-vis other major international currencies.
In the recent times, when the Apex Bank realized that the paid up capital did not yield tangible success in terms of management of financial institutions from being distress, the central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in July 2004 came up with a major policy reform that required bank licensed in Nigeria to increase their paid-up capital to a minimum of N25 billion on or before December 31st 2005.
The new requirement initially raised a lot of dust and became a subject of desirability and feasibility of such high quantum of capital base. However, the emphasis of players in the industry has since shifted o the modus operandi for attaining the target amount by the stipulated date. In the months following the pronouncement, many of the banks resorted to private placements with high net worth individuals and institutional investors to raise the short fall (between the current balance sheet figures and the new required amount). The inadequacy of that option only became apparent when many of the banks (led by all states Trust Bank and four others) began to initiate and sign memorandum of understanding (MOUS) for merger and acquisition with one another.
The recent announcement from the CBN Governor for a new minimum capital requirement of N25 billion for banks, is necessary, since larger capital adequacy was required to create a strong and viable banking system with minimal distress and meaningful contribution to the growth of the Nigerian economy. Anticipating inability of some banks to singularly satisfy this capital requirement, the Governor has emphasis zed merger and acquisition as a viable strategy.
1.8 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research study to highlight major weakness in the banking system. A combination of many weak elements of financial institutions could jeopardize the health of the system. These results primarily from the extraction of which are made possible through weak regulatory system frame work, poor corporate governance and structure of the banking system. In view of these, the facets of banking reforms aimed at ensuring a healthy ambience. The vortex of the reforms is around firming up capitalization. Therefore, capitalization is an important component of reforms in the banking industry, owing to the fact that a bank with a strong capital base has the ability to absolve losses arising from non-performing liabilities. This is attained through consolidation, convergences as well as the capital markets. Thus stabilities are primarily driven by the need to achieve the objectives of consolidation and convergence and competitions ( Deccan, Herald 2004).
Majority of the back drop of banking crisis was due highly under capitalization of state owned banks. This research study tends to look into diversities of the major crisis that arises with undercapitalization.
1.9 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Realizing that various ad-hoc distress resolution strategies had not significantly achieved the desired objectives in terms of the safety, soundness and stability of the financial system. The present study was initiated. Its aim is to objectively determine the real causes of the current distress in the financial services industry as a basis for re-assessing various distress resolution strategies already embarked upon.
The specific objectives of the study are:
- To investigate the desirability or other wise the increased minimums capitalization requirement for banks as the basis of improvement in banking viability.
As banking viability is the major factor being adduced or the large increase in the minimum capital requirement, it therefore becomes necessary.
- To examine the relationship between the two variables (capitalization amongst Nigerian banks ) with a view of studying the performance
- To highlight the implication of the role of capitalization in the financial performance of banks in Nigeria.
- To see how capital formation facilities and promotes economic growth by operating a safe and sound manner.
- To see how capitalization promotes soundness stability and enhance efficiency of the system, to achieve the goals of protecting depositors ensuring monetary stability and efficient and competitive financial system.
1.10 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS
For the purpose of this investigation, there will be a need to ask the following research questions in other to guide our understanding of the topic, these include:
- Why is huge capitalization requirement capable the viability and health of Nigerian banks?
- Why is capitalization a necessary factor for banking viability in Nigeria?
- Would the large capitalization requirement not lead to liquidation, mergers and acquisitions and other impediments to vibrant competition in the banking industry?
- What are the effects of capitalization on the stability of banks in Nigeria?
HYPOTHESIS 1
HO: There is no significant bank relationship between capitalization and economic
growth in Nigeria
HYPOTHESIS 11
HO: There is no significant relationship between capitalization and bank stability.
1.11 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
The banking sector in the financial landscape needs to be reformed in other to enhance its competiveness and capacity to play a fundamental role of financial investment. Recen