Analysis Of Financial Statements In Performance Assessment Of Selected Banks In Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the relationship between financial statements and bank performance in Nigeria- A case study of zenith bank, GTbank and UBA over a ten-year period (2010-2019). Banks are a very integral aspect of an economy due to the fundamental role they play as intermediaries, therefore it is important to establish an efficient analysis of the health of the bank as it also reflects the state of the economy. Financial statements are effective sources of information to analyse the state of a bank, which brings about financial ratio analysis. Financial ratios enable useful interpretation and analysis of relevant information from financial statements pertaining to relevant parameters in assessing bank performance such as: liquidity, profitability, efficiency, return on asset and return on equity, etc. The study found that the three banks which are among the top 10 banks in the Nigerian banking industry performed well above industry average and depicted resilience in spite of fluctuations in performance as a result of certain economic factors. It was determined that financial statements were very instrumental in detecting the strengths and weaknesses of the banks as such information helps in determining the performance of banks. Although financial statements alone are not sufficient in determining the overall performance of banks as they do not take into consideration variables such as: customer satisfaction, risk etc. It is still most effective in assessing the core performance of banks. The study recommended the continuous and efficient preparation of financial statements.

Keywords: financial statements, financial ratios, liquidity, profitability, bank, bank performance