Audit Committee and Audit Report Lag: Moderating Role of Ownership Concentration of Listed Consumer Goods Firms in Nigeria (Published)
This study examines the moderating role of ownership concentration on the effect of audit characteristics on audit report lag of listed consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The ex-post facto research design was adopted, secondary data was extracted from annual reports and accounts of listed consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The population of the study is twenty-one (21) and the sample size consist of fifteen (15) for ten years (2012-2021). Six (6) companies were flitter out from the study due the technical suspension by NXG during the period of study. Census sample techniques were adopted. PCSEs regression model was employed as technique of data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the Audit Committee Size (ACS) and Audit Committee Meeting have a positive and significant effect on Audit Report Lag (ARL). Also, the Audit Committee Financial Expertise (ACFE) revealed a positive and insignificant effect on Audit Report Lag (ARL), while the Audit Committee Independence is established to have a negative and insignificant effect on Audit Report Lag (ARL). However, with consideration of moderating role ownership concentration, the Audit Committee Size (ACS) and Audit Committee Meeting (ACM) is found to have significant negative effect on Audit Report Lag (ARL), while the Audit Committee Financial Expertise and Audit Committee Independence are found to have a positive and insignificant effect on Audit Report Lag (ARL). The study concludes that ownership concentration moderates the effect of audit committee on Audit Report Lag. The study recommended that the management of the study firms should continue to sustain the frequency of meetings and size or numbers of the committee in their respective audit committee since the two committee have been empirically proven to have significantly reduced the timeframe of reporting their financial reports.
Keywords: Audit Committee, Audit Report lag, Consumer goods firms, Nigeria, Ownership concentration
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND AUDIT DELAY IN NIGERIAN QUOTED COMPANIES (Published)
The objective of this study is to examine the determinants of audit report timeliness in Nigeria. Specifically, the study examines the effect of company size, profitability, complexity and audit firm type on audit report timeliness. The cross-sectional research design was adopted with an extensive reliance on secondary data. The data was source from annual reports of manufacturing companies quoted on the floor of the Nigerian stock exchange for 2010-2012. The ordinary least squares (OLS) regression technique was utilized as the method of data analysis. The finding of the study shows the following; (i) A significant relationship exist between board size and Audit report lag (ii) A significant relationship exists between board independence and Audit report lag (iii) A non-significant relationship exists between audit firm type and Audit report lag. It was also discovered that the time lag prescribed by the regulatory bodies are usually too much thus encouraging companies to engage in the act of delaying their financial statements. The recommendation is that in achieving the objective of making the financial statements readily available for making timely decisions, the Nigerian stock exchange, securities and exchange commission, the Financial Reporting council, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other regulatory bodies should put in place measures to ensure strict compliance with the laid down rules and regulations.
Keywords: Audit Report lag, Board independence, Board size