DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING

This study examined the influence of audit characteristics on the financial reporting quality ofdeposit money banks listed on the Nigerian Exchange. The main objective was to assess theeffects of audit firm tenure, audit firm size, and non-audit services on the credibility andransparency of financial reports. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design and utilizedecondary data collected from annual reports of twelve listed banks covering the period 2016 to2023. The data were analysed using panel regression analysis with robust standard errors toaccount for heteroskedasticity. The study finds that audit firm tenure has no significant impact on financial reporting quality, ndicating that the duration of auditor-client relationships does not independently determineeporting outcomes in the Nigerian banking sector. However, audit firm size showed aignificant positive relationship with financial reporting quality, suggesting that larger auditfirms contribute to higher transparency and reliability due to their extensive expertise andtronger regulatory oversight. Additionally, non-audit services exhibited a significant positiveeffect on financial reporting quality, implying that when properly managed, these services canenhance auditors’ operational understanding and improve audit effectiveness rather thancompromise independence. The study concludes that audit firm size and non-audit services are critical determinants offinancial reporting quality among Nigerian deposit money banks, while audit firm tenure plays aimited role. The study recommends that regulators encourage the use of reputable large auditfirms and implement guidelines to manage non-audit services effectively to strengthen overallaudit quality and financial transparency in the sector

Financial crimes pose a major challenge to Nigeria’s economic stability, affecting investment, governance, and public trust in financial institutions. This study examines the types, causes, and effects of financial crimes, with a focus on money laundering, fraud, and corruption. It also explores the role of economic, institutional, technological, and regulatory factors in driving financial crimes. A descriptive survey research design was employed, using a structured questionnaire to collect data. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between financial crimes and its underlying causes. The findings reveal that economic hardship, weak institutional governance, technological vulnerabilities, and regulatory inefficiencies significantly contribute to financial crimes in Nigeria. Among these, economic factors (β = 0.432, p = 0.000) had the strongest influence, followed by institutional weaknesses (β = 0.389, p = 0.000), regulatory inefficiencies (β = 0.317, p = 0.000), and technological factors (β = 0.278, p = 0.000). The high R² value (0.659) confirms that these factors collectively explain a substantial portion of financial crimes in the country. The study concludes that financial crimes reduce foreign direct investment (FDI), weaken financial institutions, and hinder economic development. To combat these issues, it recommends strengthening economic policies, improving institutional governance, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and enforcing stricter financial regulations. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and financial regulators in developing more effective strategies to curb financial crimes and promote economic stability in Nigeria

This study examined Religiosity and Tax compliance in Nigeria, focusing on Taxpayers in Benin city, including employees and self-employed individuals from Christian, Islamic and Traditional religious backgrounds. The research explored the extent to which religious beliefs, values, and moral teachings influence individuals' willingness to comply with tax obligations. Using a questionnaire based survey, data were collected from respondents, and statistical analysis were conducted to assess the relationship between religiosity and tax compliance behavior. The findings of this study highlight the role of religious teachings, ethical convictions, and spiritual beliefs in shaping taxpayer's attitudes towards compliance. Additionally, the study evaluates whether religiosity serves as a motivating factor for voluntary tax compliance or if it is overshadowed by other determinant trust, enforcement mechanisms, and Socio-economic factors. The study also integrates perspectives from both the Bible and the Qur'an to provide a theological understanding of taxation and compliance. The results contribute to policy discussions on Tax administration by offering insights into how religious values can be leveraged to enhance voluntary tax compliance. The study recommendations that tax authorities consider faith-based approaches in tax education and public awareness campaigns to improve compliance rates.

This study examined accountants’ perceptions, challenges, and readiness toward the adoption of disruptive technologies in Nigeria, focusing on how factors such as perceived usefulness, ease of use, training and support, perceived risk, and organizational readiness influence technology acceptance. The study adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as its theoretical foundation, emphasizing the interaction between perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in determining technology adoption behavior. A structured questionnaire was administered to 383 ICAN and ANAN members. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression analysis, with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 25). Findings revealed that perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly enhance accountants’ acceptance and utilization of disruptive technologies. Additionally, training availability, top management support, and organizational readiness were found to positively influence technology adoption, while perceived risks such as job insecurity and data privacy concerns had a negative but statistically significant relationship with adoption. The study concluded that accountants’ readiness to embrace disruptive technologies largely depends on adequate organizational infrastructure, supportive leadership, and effective digital competency development. It recommended that accounting bodies and firms invest in continuous digital upskilling programs, strengthen technological support systems, and promote innovation-driven cultures to maximize the benefits of emerging technologies in accounting practice.

This study investigates the value relevance of accounting information and the moderating role of board characteristics in the Nigerian banking sector. Using panel data from twelve banks listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) over the period 2018 to 2023, the study examines how earnings per share (EPS), book value per share (BVPS), cash flow from operations per share (CFOPS), and dividend per share (DPS) influence market valuation, proxied by share price, while considering the moderating effects of board size and board independence. Descriptive statistics reveal significant variation in accounting metrics across banks, while correlation analysis indicates strong positive relationships between share price and key accounting variables. Fixed effects panel regression results confirm that EPS, BVPS, CFOPS, and DPS are significant determinants of share price, affirming their value relevance. The moderated regression analysis further demonstrates that board independence significantly strengthens the relationship between EPS and share price, while board size exhibits a more nuanced moderating effect limited to earnings. These findings underscore the critical role of independent governance in enhancing the credibility of financial reporting and its usefulness for investors. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the interplay between accounting information and corporate governance in emerging markets and offers practical implications for regulators, bank management, and investors seeking to improve market valuation and financial transparency

This study examined the Impact of Unethical Accounting Practices on Financial Reporting Quality of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria. The study specifically examined the common unethical accounting practices prevalent in Nigerian manufacturing firms. The study examined the major causes of unethical practices by accounting professionals. The survey design was adopted and the simple random sampling techniques were employed in this study. The population size comprises of selected staff of Sumal Foods Limited in Oyo State. In determining the sample size, the researcher conveniently selected 80 respondents and 72 were validated. Selfconstructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analyzed using frequency tables and mean scores, while the hypotheses were tested using ANOVA statistical tool. The result of the findings reveals that the common unethical accounting practices prevalent in Nigerian manufacturing firms includes; falsifying financial statements to mislead stakeholders, manipulating inventory levels to inflate profits is a frequent practice, underreporting expenses to enhance profitability is widely practiced and engaging in related-party transactions without proper disclosure is common. Therefore, The study suggests that accounting professional bodies in Nigeria should advocate for stricter penalties for auditors who misconduct themselves, similar to practices in other countries.

This study investigated the Sustainability Reporting on Corporate Financial Performance of listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The study adopted ex-post facto research design. The population of the study was the thirteen DMBs listed on Nigerian Exchange Group of which five (5) were sampled out using purposive sampling technique. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of environmental, economic, social sustainability reporting using return on assets (ROA) as a measure of corporate financial performance. Panel data collected from sampled sourced from their annual report of sampled banks from 2013 to 2022. Using the panel least squares regression technique, the study found that environmental and economic sustainability reporting has a positive and negative insignificant effect on the performance respectively. However, social sustainability reporting was found to be negative and statistically significant. Based on the findings, the study recommends amongst others that enabling legislation should be put in place to mandate enhanced sustainability practices among all deposit money banks in Nigeria as well as facilitate meaningful evaluation and measurement of environmental, economic and social impacts in all areas of bank operations in Nigeria.

This study investigates the relationship between corporate board diversity and the financial performance of quoted oil and gas companies in Nigeria. Conducted within the context of governance reforms and performance challenges in the sector, the research examines how national, ethnic, age, and gender diversity influence Earnings Per Share (EPS), which was adopted as the measure of financial performance. An ex-post facto research design was employed, using panel data extracted from the annual reports of twelve oil and gas companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group between 2014 and 2023. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression were applied to evaluate the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that ethnic and age diversity exert significant positive effects on EPS, while national and gender diversity show statistically insignificant influences. The results indicate that board heterogeneity in certain dimensions enhances shareholder value, though some forms of diversity remain underutilized in Nigeria’s corporate governance framework. The study concludes that meaningful representation across diversity dimensions can strengthen decision- making and improve financial outcomes, especially in a highly regulated and capital-intensive industry. The study recommends that regulators and policymakers enforce inclusive governance policies that encourage balanced board representation, while companies should adopt strategic diversity practices that integrate ethnicity, age, gender, and nationality to enhance performance and competitiveness.

This study examines the factors influencing environmental disclosure among oil and gas companies in Nigeria. It adopts an ex-post facto research design with a longitudinal approach, utilizing panel data spanning eleven (11) financial years (2014–2024) from oil companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The variables investigated include leverage, firm size, profitability, audit firm type, financial constraint, and firm age. The findings reveal that leverage, profitability, firm size, audit firm type, firm age, and financial constraint all have no significant effect on the level of environmental accounting disclosure by oil and gas companies in Nigeria. Based on these results, the study recommends that future research should consider a broader sample of companies and incorporate additional variables beyond those used in the current model, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the determinants of environmental disclosure in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

This study examines the effect of audit committee effectiveness on corporate tunnelling among listed consumer goods firms in Nigeria, with a particular focus on audit committee size, independence, and financial expertise. This study examines the effect of audit committee effectiveness on corporate tunnelling in listed firms, with specific focus on audit committee size, audit committee independence, and audit committee expertise as key dimensions of audit committee effectiveness.
The study adopts an ex-post facto research design and utilizes secondary data obtained from the annual reports of selected listed firms over a specified period. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression techniques are employed to analyze the relationship between audit committee characteristics and corporate tunnelling. Audit committee size is measured by the number of members in the committee, audit committee independence by the proportion of independent non-executive directors, and audit ommittee
expertise by the financial and accounting knowledge possessed by committee members. The findings reveal that audit committee independence and audit committee expertise have significant negative effects on corporate tunnelling, indicating that independent and financially knowledgeable audit committees are more effective in reducing opportunistic managerial activities and protecting shareholders’ interests. However, audit committee size shows a mixed relationship with corporate tunnelling, suggesting that merely increasing committee membership does not necessarily enhance monitoring effectiveness.
The study concludes that effective audit committees play a critical role in curbing corporate tunnelling and improving corporate governance practices. The study therefore recommends that firms should strengthen the independence and professional competence of audit committee members to enhance oversight functions and reduce the likelihood of resource expropriation within organizations