ABSTRACT
In any modern economy, the efficient production and exchange of goods and services requires money and bank is the instrument for affecting it. The last few years have been both traumatic and revolutionary for the banking industry. The industry produced the largest number of technically insolvent and under capitalized banks. The magnitude of distress in the nation’s banking industry reached on unprecedented level making it an issue of concern to the government, the regulatory authority, the bankers and the general public.
The Nigeria banking scene was characterized by changes designed to promote banking in the country. The changes may be categorized into phases, but due to the nature of work, we will consider tow phase namely; the era of laissez – fair banking (1834 – 1952), the era of limited was monopolized by foreign banks, principally the African banking corporation which was the precursor of the (BBWA) British bank for West African the present First Bank of Nigeria, the Barclays bank DCO (Dominion Colonial and Overseas) the present day Union Banks, and the British and French Bank, the for – runner of present United Bank of Africa. Although, discrimination against Nigerians by these banks led to the establishment of some indigenous banks which unfortunately offers litter or no competition to the foreign banks essentially because of their weak capital base or poor managerial capacity. Consequently, all but three to the indigenous banks failed. The survived includes the National Bank of Nigeria established in 1933, the Agbonmagbe Bank (now Wema Bank) established 1945 and the African Continental Bank 1947.
