OKPAKO EMUESIRI

This study investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on financial reporting quality among selected oil and gas firms in Nigeria, covering the period 2019 to 2023. The research examines key audit committee attributes, including independence, size, financial expertise, and meeting frequency, while controlling for firm size. Secondary data were collected from annual reports of the sampled firms and analyzed using EViews 13. Descriptive statistics provided an overview of the variables, followed by correlation analysis, diagnostic tests, and multiple regression analysis to test the formulated hypotheses. The results indicate that audit committee independence has a significant positive impact on financial reporting quality, enhancing transparency and reliability of financial statements. Conversely, audit committee size, expertise, and meeting frequency do not exhibit statistically significant effects, suggesting that mere structural attributes without active monitoring and effective governance practices may not improve reporting quality. Diagnostic tests confirm the absence of multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and non-normality, affirming the validity of the regression results. The findings underscore the critical role of independent audit committees in promoting high-quality financial reporting in the Nigerian oil and gas sector and provide practical insights for policymakers and corporate governance stakeholders seeking to strengthen oversight mechanisms.