CHAPTER ONE

1.0          INTRODUCTION

1.1          BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Industrial financing organizations have undergone a structural transformation during the last three decades in most developing countries. In this process of transformation, industrial development banks have emerged as catalytic agent of industrial and economic growth. This work is aimed at examining the contribution of the Bank of Industry (BOI) to the industrial development of Nigeria. Industrialization is regarded by the government as a sine qua non for National effort to achieve the degree of self reliance and confidence which are required to maintain the stability necessary for social place at home and equally master the respectability which serves as an essential ingredient for meaningful involvement in international affairs and interactions.

The Bank of industry (BOI) was thus created to vigorously pursue this aspiration of the government. In fact with the increasing activities of (BOI) and Nigerians position among other African Countries especially those of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and a great opportunity to develop the export sector. The United Nations strongly expressed the views that for

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development to take place, Net investment in the country should be increased from 50 percent to at least 10 percent, it could then be argued that control facet of economic development is rapid capital accumulation including knowledge and skill.

Orthodox writers like Lewis and Rostow (1998) have proposed that industrialization is the engine which projects the development process of an economy.

This proposition was derived from a general station of the historical experience of the present day developed countries whose development took the form of an industrial revolution several arguments could be advanced in favor of industrialization. It is more likely to bring a change in attitudes, technical progress and structural transformation which development was assured to entail.

The level of productivity associated with any other sector. The result of the investigation provides alternative employment for the labour force and this would relieve pressure on the land. Most important of all is the linkage effects.

It has the highest capacity of linkage with other sectors of the economy.

The encouragement of indigenes as well as foreign enterprises would, among other things, enhance the economic development of Nigeria.

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The appropriate institution that could carry out the function effectively is BOI. If BOI increases and effectively channels its finance activities management and technical assistance to investors in the industrial sectors, it will undoubtedly facilitate growth and development in the economy. BOI, as an industrial development finances institution, finances activities which include textiles, metal products non metallic minerals products and also hotels of international standards.

It provides medium and long term financial assistance only to limited liability companies registered in Nigeria and complying with the enterprises, promotion of 1972 and sometime makes equity investments. The numerous problems that plague the industrial sector like low level of technology, low level of investment, infrastructural administrative and structural frame work have hindered this sector from contributing substantially to economic development. To surmount this problem will require not only finance institutions like commercial banks, but more essentially degree of economic power by the choice of Projects or assets on which it places it funds that are generated from both local and foreign services. NIDB has existed for over thirty years, yet its impact has not been immediately felt (Hirschman 1977).

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Consequently, some questions reality come to mind as regards to performance of BOI via-visa development in the industrial sector in particular and in the economy as a whole.

In most of the developing countries like Nigeria, industrial financing organizations have undergone a structural transformation during the last four decades.

In this process of transformation industrial development bank have emerged as a catalytic agent of industrial and economic growth.

Development banks are crucial in the economic development process of a country. In Nigeria the development of financial institutions for development purposes could be traced to 1946 when the ten years development plan was launched by Britain. The first to emerge in the scene was the Nigerian Local Development Board (NLDB), which made loans and grants to native authorities, corporative societies and other related bodies were established and recognized. At the definite of the board, the northern, Eastern and western Regional development boards and Colony Development Board (CDB) were setup thus, financial assistance to industrial and agricultural projects. However, they had limited resources at their disposal though their impacts were not widely felt.

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In 1956, the western region finance corporation (WRFC), the federal loans Board (FLB), the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC) and the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC) were established to promote industrial development in the country. The first official development bank was NLDB (1946-1949). The second development finance institution was CDB (1949-1956). It was established with N100,000 grants from the regular government budget plus the colony share of the asset of NLDB which has been shared among the regional components in the country. It was charged with the dual role of facilitating both government and private economic activities. FLB was the third development finance institution, it was established in 1956 with one an initial grant of N600,000, with the following functions:

I.          To make loans to indigenous clients but not to the traders or for trading purpose.

II.          Make loans of all types within the environs of Lagos up to a maximum of N100,000.

III.          Share responsibility for longer loans in the region with Regional Corporation.