CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In every system, there are major components that are very important for the survival of the system. This is also applicable to the financial system. The financial institution have contributed immensely to the  growth of the entire financial system, as they offer an efficient institutional method through which resources can be mobilized and directed from less productive uses to more productive uses.

In performing these financial role, the financial institutions has proved to be an effective link between savers and borrowers, among the financial institutions that have partake in these important financial role are the commercial banks. The functions of the commercial banks have become the strong base for the two major functions of the commercial banks namely deposit mobilization and credit extension. Commercial banks have become a very important institution in the financial system as it helps in facilitating the movement of financial assets that are less desirable to the more desirable public who needed the financial assets. In view of this role and activities commercial banks play in the society, the commercial bank is selected as the main focus of this study.

            An adequate financial intermediation requires the attention and focus of the bank management to the profitability and liquidity, which are the two conflicting objectives of the commercial banks. These objectives are parallel in the sense that an attempt for a bank to achieve higher profitability will gradually destroy its liquidity and solvency position and vice versa. Practically, profitability and liquidity are effective indicator of the corporate wealth and performance of not only commercial bank but to all profit oriented venture. These performance indicators are very important to the shareholders and depositors who are major publics of a bank. As the shareholders expect the bank to increase lending in order to give them maximum return in money invested while the depositor expect the bank to keep much idle cash in order to meet their demand. With profitability objective conflicting with that of liquidity, and with the interest of the shareholders conflicting with that of the depositors, there is the need for reconcile and harmonize these conflicting positions through effective liquidity management so as to ensure the survival and growth of the commercial banks.