ABTRACT
Corporate organizations owe a duty to fully disclose matters concerning their
operations so as to aid investors in making investment decisions because
Investment decision makers rely on information obtained from financial
statements to predict future rates of return. Without the financial statement,
there will be a problem of how to determine the profit of a company, and
evaluation of performance of a company. The general objective is to ascertain the
role of financial statement in investment decision making. The study will be based
on survey and questionnaire will be used to gather information. There is a total
population of 70 personnel but the sample size is 60 using Taro Yamane’s
formula. The methods used in analysing this study are simple percentage and chisquare.
We discovered from the test of hypotheses that financial statement is
relied upon in investment decision making and financial statements are useful for
forecasting company’s performance. Concluded was drawn based on the findings
that financial statement plays a vital role in investment decision making and
recommends that no investment decision should be taken without the
consideration of a company’s financial statements.

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Corporate organizations owe a duty to fully disclose matters
concerning their operations so as to aid investors in making investment
decisions. Both large and small organizations in addition to satisfying
the legislating requirement tend to retain existing investors and to
attract potential ones through the publication of their financial
statements where the capital stock of a corporation is widely held and
its affairs are of interest to general public relations. The discussions and
illustrations of the study will be centered on the financial statement
presented to shareholders and also available for potential investors,
bond holders and trade creditors as a tool of information for
investment decision. Financial statement based on result on past
activities are analyzed and interpreted as a basis for predicting future
rate of returns and assessment of risk.
Financial statement provides important information for a wide
variety of decision, investors draw information from the statement of
the firm in whose security they contemplate investing. Decision makers
who contemplate acquiring total or partial ownership of an enterprise
expect to secure returns on their investment such as dividends and
increase in the value of their investment [capital gain]. Both dividends
and increase in the value of shares of company depends on the future
profitability of the enterprise. So investors are interested in future
profitability. Past income dividend data are used to forecast returns
from dividend and increase in share prices.
1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
For the purpose of this research, first bank plc. Anyigba branch
kogi state is selected as a case study for academic purpose
According to google.com [electronic library] first bank of Nigerian
Plc. was established in 1894 as the first bank in Nigeria, a premier in
West African and the leading financial service solution provider in
Nigeria. From being the only bank for decades, weathered the banking
exposure of the 1930,s to 1950s followed by the era of government
ownership and control to a flurry consolidations and then gradual
growth in number banks up to the early 1980s, then yet another
industry growth spurt in early 1990s when the banking sector was
deregulated, leading to an industry shake-up in the late 1990s, which
reduced the number of banks from 126 to 77. At later resuscitation and
growth to 89 banks leading al through the seasons, first bank plc has
remained resilient dependably dynamic and truly the first.
Based on the researchers’ oral interview with the bank officials,
the Anyigba branch of first bank plc. was established in the then kwara
state in the 1978. They render other services than safe keeping of
money like giving loan to their customers and hire purchase. The
branch presently has about 288 customers.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It is observed that the role of financial statements in investment
decision making in Nigeria has some problems to both investors and
managers of business organizations who are either not aware of the
importance of interdependence relationship that exist between
investors and business organizations. Such problems include;
i. How analytical tools are set to aid prospective investors in
accessing the financial position of the corporate organization.
ii. Evaluation of performance of a company in investment decision
making.
iii. How to determine the profitability of a company.
The above listed problems are the problems to look into in this
research work. The problems analyzed tend to scare away both existing
and potential investors. The reason of this study is to adequately look
into the above problems and suggest possible solution to any of them.
Nevertheless this research will find possible key factors to solving these
problems because financial statement in investment decision making in
Nigeria is the life blood of every organization to the potential investor.