ASSESSMENT OF E-COMMERCE USAGE FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA BANKING SECTOR

This study assessed the extent of e-commerce usage for effective service delivery in Nigeria banking sector. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study covered 64 microfinance banks in Oyo State, South-West, Nigeria. The population was made up of 1275 staffs from the 64 microfinance banks. The sample size consisted of 28 microfinance banks of which 280 staffs were purposively selected. A 28-item structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Four experts carried out the face and content validity of the instrument. The reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha statistic Reliability Coefficient and reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation were used to analyze data, answer research questions and determine the homogeneity or otherwise of the respondents’ means while ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that microfinance banks in Oyo State have not use electronic payment cards as e-commerce delivery channels. They also use Internet marketing for product advertising and loan availability display; electronic fund transfer but have not been using it for online customers’ enlightment, online promotion of services and sending statements of account. It was recommended among other things, that management of microfinance banks should adopt most of the e-commerce delivery channel used by commercial banks in order to boost their standard of operation within the banking sector also, microfinance bank management should engage, encourage and sponsor their staff for re-training programmes to update their ICT knowledge, skills and competencies to effectively use the resources for quality customer service delivery.