CHAPTER ONE
Many people think of accounting as a highly technical field which can be understood only by professional accountants. Actually, nearly everyone practices accounting in one form or another on an almost daily basis
We live in an era of accountability. Although, accounting has made sits most dramatic progress in the field of business, the accounting function is vital to every unit of our society. An individual must account for his or her income, and must supply personal accounting information in order to buy a car or home to qualify for a college scholarships to secure a credit card, or to obtain a bank loan. Large corporations are accountable to their stockholders, to government agencies, and to the public. The federal government, the states, the cities, the school district: all must use accounting as a basis for controlling their resources and measuring their accomplishments. Accounting is equally essential to the successful operation of a business, a university, a polytechnic and a social program.
Okechukwu (1999), defined accounting as, “the art of recording, classifying and summarizing, analyzing, interpreting and reporting on the financial transactions and position of an organization to interested persons or bodies.” He gave this definition because whenever two or more persons comes together to form a union or an organization, the next thing is that money must be involved. Also, the accurate recording of the financial dealings of the companies, as well as the correct reporting of the financial results of the union’s activities for a period to the members of that union, and to outsiders become of paramount importance.
Amachina and Ezeh (1996), defined accounting as, “a profession that co-ordinates the functions of financials accounting which is concerned with the recording, analyzing, summarizing and interpretation of business and other entities”.
Okafor (1996), defined accounting as “a systematic means of writing of economic history and plans of an organization in both quantitative and financial manner so that facts can be revealed, and properly analysing such fact for the purpose of advising management.
Osuagwu (1998), defined management accounting as, “ the application of accounting knowledge, technique and skills to the provision of information designed to assist all levels of management in planning and controlling the activities of a business enterprise.”
Moreover, the chartered institute of management accountant (CIMA) defines management accounting as, “ an integral part of management concerned with identifying, presenting, and interpreting information used for formulating strategy, planning and controlling activities, decisions taking optimizing the use of resources, disclosure to shareholders and other external to the entity, disclosure to employees and safeguarding assets.
Onovo et al (2002), defined cost accounting and costing principles, methods and techniques in the ascertainment of costs and the analysis of savings and excesses as compared with previous experience with standards.
Nze (1998), defined cost accounting as, “The accounting of the cost of production of goods or services or both of them”.
The institute of cost and management accountants defines costing as “a management information system which analysis parts, present, and indeed, future data to fit the variety of different problems confronting managers. In order to carryout their responsibilities for planning and controlling the resources of a business, managers must be properly informed’.
Ani (2001), defined public sector accounting as, “the composite activity of collecting, analysing, recording, summarizing, reporting and interpreting the financial – transactions of government units.
The various government units includes:
Some of the nature of government entities are:
From the various definitions of accounting mentioned above, we can see obviously that whether the accounting is concerned with financial accounting or management accounting or cost accounting, that all of them is geared towards provision of vital information that will aid the management in attainment of the objective f the organization.
Moreover, accounting aids to check fraud and make corrections ins the records of transactions kept by an organization through the services rendered by professional accountants. In the case of private sector, the auditors checks the accounts and records of the company, in order to ensure that to the accounts are prepared in accordance of the laid down rules ins the companies and allied matters error in the financial statement of the company, where there is an error or fraud in the financial statement, the auditor is supposed to specify it in its’ report, finally, he will express his opinion on whether the financial statement of the company shows a true and faire view of the financial state of that company at the given date.
While in the public sector, in sector 85 subsection (2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, the auditor-General is authorizes to appoint auditors for government stationary corporations, commissions authorities, agencies, including all persons and bodies established by an act of the national assembly.
Furthermore, in the area of taxation, accountants aids the government to calculate the amount of taxes which persons and companies will pay as taxes. Persons pay taxes from the income they earn as from their work and companies pays taxes from the profit they made in the business.
This proprietor is the owner of a business accounting information aids him sto know whether he is making a profit or loss in his business and also it aids him sto know how much drawing to make in order not to adversely affect the progress of the business
b. Creditors
Accounting information aid the creditors to know whether those they sold their goods to on credit will be above to pay them their money.
This are persons that want to buy shares in a company. The accounting information aids them to know the profitability, solvency and how the assets have been put to effective use.
Provision of accounting information enables banks to grant loans, overdraft and other advances to their customers
e. Labour Unions and Employees
Accounting information enables the labour unions to ensure that their workers are adequately remunerated as an when due.
Accounting information enables the government to impose tax on profits of companies and income of individuals.
The management uses the accounting information in making decision that will lead to the attainment of the organization objective.
One of the characteristics of a profession is that it afford those who practice it permanent membership of a life career. The professional accounting bodies in Nigeria has a very stringent policy for admitting its members into the profession.
Also, in a trading and non trading organizations where adequate memorandum books and sources documents are not kept which will provide a record of the business transaction made by the organization constitutes a problem to the accountant working in that organization.
Moreover, income tertiary institutions, there Are unqualified lecturers, which will not contribute in teaching the students all they are supposed to know concerning Accounting profession..
The purpose of this study includes:
Accounting is a course, which it services is indeed in all organizations, whether the objective of the organization is to make profit or not to make profit. There is always the need to account for the day to day running of the organization relation to spending and receiving of money.
Accounting is one of the professional course which many students looking for admission in higher institutions wants to study.
This study, as looking into the problems and benefits accounting students should meet as prospective accountants. The study is important not only to the students, but also to those qualified professional accountants and teachers of accountancy, the government, and the general public, for they should with this study assess to know where the problem lies and where improvement is needed in accounting education.
For the effective study of this topic, the following research questions are investigated.
The problems encountered in this study can be classified into the following:
In this study, all the higher institutions in Nigeria is supposed to be used as sample size, where data will be collected from students through structured questionnaires, but due to the constraints of time and finance some of the schools was selected for the sample study.
Moreover, detailed information concerning accounting professional bodies was not in this study due to the large amount of money needed in carrying out research in internet network.
Accounting is a professions that has high regard in Nigeria. Many students in Nigeria wants to study accountancy.
There are many prospects of accounting as a profession which accountants must bear in minds in discharging their duties.
Both the profit making organizations (Trading) and Non profit making organizations (Non trading) depends upon the information provided by the accountants for the smooth running of the organization.
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