CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Before now, people/students often embraced technological changes with the fear of the unknown

and as such decided to carry out activities their usual way (manually).

However, the 21st century came with a lot of challenges that only the use of computer can solve

problem effectively. Electronic/Automated payment of NACOSS fees in the department would

boost the department management morale and therefore increase productivity. However, this

supports the mash low’s theory of management which is of the view that metrication of an

organization financially will bring increase in productivity.

Therefore, the payment of NACOSS fees in a particular department enhance the productivity of

such department for both the management and students as well, even as a computer based system

is used for such payment for easiest and fastest mode of operation as well as accurate security and

good financial management.

1.1 Background of the Study

The essence for one going to school is for better survival tomorrow wherein becoming what he or

she is capable of becoming what he or she wants in life. And the desire of knowledge is the natural

feeling of mankind and every human being whose mind is not debauched will be willing to give

all that is required of him or her to get knowledge.

It is on this basic idea that knowledge oriented organization (school) has been set up as a ground

for people to go in and learn in respond to paying for their acquired – knowledge for tomorrow’s

success.

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According to Oxford Dictionary of Current (6th Edition), fee is defined as an amount of money

that one pays for professional services.

Simply, National Association of Computer Science Student (NACOSS) fee is that fixed interval

payment made by a student or students to the department he or she is admitted in.

From the definition, one can outline that NACOSS fee payment supposed to be in a regular interval

that is timely, although sometime may not be that ready by the student due to some financial lapses.

Financial lapses pose a lot of problems to the association management because of some pressing

needs. However, when students refuse to pay their NACOSS fees on time the association

management seems to lack money in the purse which at this, render the management ineffective.

Apart from the management being ineffective financially, students also face barriers by not being

allowed to write their examinations which is one of the academic frustration or setback. Using

computer based system for fees payment necessitated this research in order to help solve these

problems of either delayed fee payment, or the student not paying at all or the fee being

misused/mismanaged or entangled with criminal attack either on the side of student at the course

of payment or the side of association bursary.

Using Computer Science Department in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa as a case study, the

research has the intention of creating a software that could process students’ NACOSS fee payment

to the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa bank accounts and electronically lodging individual student’s

fees indicating name, registration number, level/class, date of payment, amount of money paid,

academic session/semester/ bank’s name, account number, phone number, school name and other

personal records etc. This will enhance prompt payment and safe delivery and automatically stop

the management and students from being frustrated financially and otherwise.

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1.2 Statement of the Problem

The problems encountered with the manual method of NACOSS fees payment is viewed from two

perspectives, the department management’s problems and the students’ problem.

The department management problems have to do with the processing of students’ information

about their paid fees with mistakes and come out with sum total and grand total amount of the paid

fee from each class or across all the students who paid as a whole.

The student problems on the other hand have to do with the embarrassment from the department

bursary, such as wasting of time, mistake made in the receipt and criminal threatening and being

driven out from the examination hall for not showing evidence of NACOSS fee receipt or even

after paying shortly before the examination.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study is to automate NACOSS fees payment system in Computer Science

Department in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa.

i. The objective of this study is to create an automated-based system for NACOSS fee

payment.

ii. To convert the manual system of NACOSS fees payment to computerized/automated

method to ease the stress of students’ information processing during payment.

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1.4 Significance of the Study

This research work would help the management and students of Computer Science Department in

Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa to have a better knowledge of operating on the method of automated

NACOSS fees payment and how it can be effective through practical aspect of the device. It is

obvious that the manual system is slow in operation and also ineffective in service.

The in-convenience brought about by the manual system could be over-whelmed by the use of

more effective and advanced system. In other words, an automated system minimizes time delay

procedures during NACOSS fee payment.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study is restricted to Computer Science Department in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa and no

other firm. Data used for the study were gotten from the case study only (Computer Science

Department in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa). It focused on automated NACOSS fee payment

only.

1.6 Research Methodology

This research work “Design and implementation of an automated NACOSS fees collection

system”, will be a web-based application and will be implemented on a relational database system

(MySQL). The front-end design will be done using Hypertext preprocessor (PHP) and hypertext

markup language (HTML), CSS (cascading style sheet) and Java Script. Top down methodology

using water fall model of software development life cycle will also be adopted.

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1.7 Limitations of the Study

The problems encountered during the course of carrying out this research include:

i. Time for the research was stressful couple with other academic work.

ii. Lack of fund to take care of transportation and other expenses.

iii. Lack of access to research materials on the topic in the polytechnic and public libraries.

1.8 Definition of Terms

To do away with ambiguity, the following terms are hereby defined for easy comprehension.

Design: In this context, it has to do with the coding of the program (software).

Fee: A fixed regular amount of money made by the school organization/management to a student.

Automated Payment: This is also known as electronic/computerized payment. It is the

introduction of computer for easy disbursement of student fee payment to the school

management/organization.

Basic Fee: It is fixed payment by students based on their level/class or programme offers.

Sum Total Pay: This is the amount gotten by summing all the fees paid together.

Total/Grand Total: This is the overall amount of money which a student or students has to pay

before official clearance for graduation.

File: This can be defined as complete collection of related records or information.

Data Base: This is a collection of data organized to service many applications at the same time by

storing and managing data so that they appear to be in one location.

Computer: This is an electronic device or programmable machine that is capable of accepting

data as input, process the data, store them and sent out the result of the processing as output

according to logical instruction given by the user.

NACOSS: National Association of Computer Science Student.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.0 Introduction

This aims at reviewing the relevant literature on this research topic, it intends to consider the

suggestion, ideas, citations and comments of various authors and professionals on the concept and

implementation of Automated NACOSS Collection System.

2.1 Automated NACOSS Fees Collection: An Overview

Change is inevitable especially in a rapid evolving world but as the growth, pace and the structure

of an economy changes so does the payment systems required to facilitate transactions in that

economy. This is in line with Nigeria push to keep its payment system far with international

practices and standards by leveraging on technology. Tamuno (2003).

In order to meet up developed nations, automated payment becomes the answer. According to

Nwankpa (2009), automated or electronic payment defined as a subset of an e-commerce or

computerized transaction to include machine payment for buying and selling of goods and services

offered through the internet.

Generally, people think of automated payment as referring to online transactions on the internet,

these are actually forms of e-payments. As technology is developing the range of devices and

processes for electronic transaction continues to increase while the percentage of cash and cheque

continue to decrease.

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Andian (2008) posits that in the US, for example, cheque have declined from 85% of non – cash

payment in 1979 to 59% in 2002, and automated or e-payments have grown to 41%. The internet

has the potentials to become the most active trade intermediary within a decade. Also internet

shopping revolutionizes by allowing customers to sit in their homes and buy enormous variety of

products and services from all over the world.

Commenting on automated payment system; Adeyinka (2008) postulates that automated payment

system intermediation in Nigeria has continued to make steady progress towards ensuring full

banking transaction automation with the value of automated payment system rising to ₦360

million in 2008. He noted that the increase in the adoption of the electronic model is not only

driven by the need for electronic services but also by the core and speedy update of new

technologies by Nigeria.

Experts says that with the mass market in Nigeria constituting about 70 percent of the nation’s

gross domestic product (GDP) the impact of deploying cards and other electronic mode of banking

operation in the country has led to increased reach, as customers can now have access to their bank

account even at the location where banks are not located through electronic banking models.

According to Eboh (2009), the introduction of various electronic models has led to low operational

costs, increased operation efficiency, removing cost of cash transactions, multicard and

multiplication availability reduced congestions in banking halls amongst others.

Speaking to business day in an interview Mitchel Elegbe, managing director, interswitch, a

payment solution platform provider with Nigerian banks on its platform confirmed that, the

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network has witnessed increased transactions with the high level of adoption of technology by

Nigerians.

In payment of NACOSS fees, automated system will benefit immensely such that through the

school’s bank account, money (student fees paid) are automatically transferred irrespective of the

school bank. Here, there is no physical involvement of cash which makes it safer and dependable.

According to Oduyemi (2009), automated payment of NACOSS fees showcase the joy over the

trends in that the student have been relieved of the stress of having to visit bursary and queue to

pay their NACOSS fees. Now, the trends are just the transport to the bank location to pay their

fees and taking the teller to the bursary to exchange for receipt which will properly indicate an

evident that fee has been paid by the particular student.

2.2 Types of Automated Payment

The following types of automated payments are mostly common today. It is important to realize

that new payment types are continually being discovered and these are additional methods that

exist or are being developed continuously.

i. Cards: Credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards currently represent the most common

form of the consumer or the business most often uses a plastic card, commonly with

magnetic stripe. The card – holder gives his or her number to a merchant who stripes the

card through a terminal or enter the data to a PC. The terminal transmits data to his or her

bank account. The acquirer transmits the data through a card association to the card issuer

who makes a decision on the transaction and relay it back to the merchant, who gives goods

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 or back to the cardholder. Funds flow later for settlement with credit cards and debited

immediately for debit or prepaid cards.

ii. Mobile Payment: According to Nwankpa (2009), mobile phones are currently used for a

limited number of electronic transactions. However, the percentage seems likely increased

as mobile phone manufacturer enable the chip and software in the phone easier electronic

commerce. Consumers can use their mobile phone to pay for transactions on several ways.

Consumer may send an SMS message, transmit a PIN number, use WAP to make online

payments, or perform other segments of their transactions with the phone. As phones

develops further, consumers are likely to be able to use infrared, bluetooth and other means

more frequently to transact full account data in order to make payment securely and easily

from their phone.

iii. Financial Service Kiosks: Companies and service providers in several countries including

Singapore and US, have set up kiosks to enable financial and non – financial transactions.

These kiosks are fixed stations with phone connection where the customer usually uses a

keyboard and television like screen to transact or to assess information. Andrian (2008).

iv. Biometric Payments: Automated payment using biometrics are still largely in their

infancy trials are underway in the united states, Australia and a limited number of other

countries. Most biometric payments involve using finger prints as the identification and

assess tool, companies like visa international are piloting voice recognition technology and

retina scans are also under consideration.

Essentially, some biometric identifiers such as a finger print or voice could replace the

plastic card and more securely identifies the person undertaking the transaction. The

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 automated payment is still changed to a credit card of other account, with the biometric

identifier replacing the card, check for other transaction mechanism.

v. Automated Payment Networks: Various countries have automated payments networks

that consumer can use to make payments electronically. ACH (Automated Clearing House)

in the US, domestic networks enable automated payment between business and between

individuals. The consumer can go online, to a financial service kiosk or use other front end

devices to assess their account and make payment to business or other individuals.

2.3 Challenges of Automated NACOSS Fees Payment in Computer Science Department

in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa

Automated NACOSS fees payment system, has come to stay. However, there are some challenges

attracted to it, even though most to these challenges are peculiar to the school management.

Some of these challenges are analyzed below

i. Transportation/Due Process: At the course of a student to get his or her NACOSS fee

paid it is required of him or her to get to the bank location through paying an extra money

for the transportation. Also, students are expected to pass through due process (normal

way/criteria) while paying their fees or before getting their fees receipts from the

department bursary.

ii. Financial Fraud/Error in Operation: Automated fees payment, like any other electronic

based system, is prone to fraud and error in operation. This implies that computer operators

in the banks who collects these fees from students should be very careful in their

transactions while keying in the student’s identities in order to avoid mistakes or wrong

coding or money divert to another one else’s account.

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 iii. System Breakdown/Network Fluctuation: Automated payment systems are usually

networked. When there is network failure or breakdown, the system would not function

and as such it’s aims is not achieved.

iv. Late Returning of Teller by the Student/Unavailability of Bursary Attendant:

Evidence of NACOSS fee payment is the indication of NACOSS fee receipt of the current

academic year. The failure of the student to produce the receipt on demand shows that the

student has not paid the required fee and as such the student may be disallowed from taking

examination.

2.4 Impacts of Automated NACOSS Fees Payment System in Computer Science

Department in Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa

The major advantages of automated NACOSS fees payment are as follows:

1. Conveniences: The convenience of using automated fees payment system is the major

advantage derived by both students and the management.

2. Speed: Using automated payment system is very fast because most of its steps involves

the use of computers, which has advantage of speed over manual method.

3. Security: Security has to do with the ability of automated systems to safeguard financial

transaction and customer’s information/data.

4. Productivity: The advantage of automated fees payment system is that it will to speed up

the department management duties for the effective progress and development in the

department system. It also provides job opportunity for computer literates.

5. Storage: Records of transaction are safe since all transactions are stored in a database of

the automated system for reference in terms of any illegalities.

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