Perception on Audit Expectation Gap on the Statutory Duty of Nigerian Auditor (Published)
The accountancy profession is a unique one and should be concerned with the provision of true and definitive financial information that can assist all the stakeholders in taking appropriate decisions after meeting auditor’s requirements. Undoubtedly, an expectation gap always exists between the stakeholders (as they appear not knowing the exact the duty of a statutory auditor) and auditor (whose duty is spelt out in the statute irrespective of the high demand by the stakeholders). The first objective of this study is to determine whether or not the stakeholders / users of financial statements are conversant with the duty of an auditor under the Nigerian law. The second objective is to find out through the stakeholders’ perceptions whether the audit expectation gap can influence them in taking decisions. Questionnaire is used as the instrument for collecting the required data. Descriptive statistic and simple regression (after conversion) are used in analyzing the data. The study reveals that majority of the stakeholders are not familiar with the statutory duty of an auditor and that the audit expectation gap is less significant in taking their decisions. Other finding is that the auditors’ report is not detailed enough with a view to disclosing any gap that may arise. The recommendations of the study are that the management and directors of companies should adequately educate the stakeholders on the statutory duty of auditor and the report of the auditor should be detailed enough in order to meet the needs of shareholders especially on any gap that may arise.
Keywords: Audit Expectation Gap, Auditor, Nigeria, Statutory Duty
Analysis of Interest Rate Determination and Its Effect on Economic Growth in Nigeria (1990-2017) (Published)
The study examined the analysis of interest rate determination and its effect on economic growth in Nigeria; for the period 1990-2017. Secondary data were used and sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The study employed Gross Domestic Product as proxy for Economic Growth and used as the dependent variable; whereas, prime lending rate (interest rate), inflation and private domestic investment were used as explanatory variables to measure interest rate. Hypotheses were formulated and tested using Ordinary Least Square econometrics models. Private domestic investment had a significant effect on Gross Domestic Product in Nigeria. Inflation had an insignificant effect on Gross Domestic Product in Nigeria. Interest rate had an inverse significant effect on Gross Domestic Product in Nigeria. The coefficient of determination indicates that about 65% of the variations in economic growth can be explained by changes in commercial bank lending variables in Nigeria. The study concluded that interest rate had an insignificant effect on economic growth in Nigeria. The study recommended that Government and policy makers should focus on maintaining inflation at a low rate (single digit) and ensure that the rate is stable; this will take care of the problem of inflation on the economy. CBN should increase their surveillance on the commercial banks; in order to address the issue of arbitrarily increase of the lending rate. Government should provide healthy environment for the banks in the industry so as to render efficient financial services to the economy.
Keywords: Analysis, Determination, Economic, Growth, Interest Rate, Nigeria
Financial Reporting Quality and Its Effect on Investment Decisions by Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (Published)
The study investigated the effects of financial reporting quality on investment decision making by Deposit Money Banks in reference to Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria. Data obtained from the audited annual reports of Zenith Bank Plc that covered period of 2009 – 2016.The study utilised both Descriptive and Ordinary Least Square Regression method with the aid of using E-view 9 to analyse the data. The findings showed that, there was a significant effect of variables of (Financial Reporting Quality FRQ measures as profit after tax, cash used in/ from investing and cash and cash equivalent) on investment. The result also shows that, Financial Reporting Quality has significantly influenced on investment of Deposit Money Banks with (R2 = 0.98; P <0.05). The study concluded that, higher financial reporting quality increases investment decision by Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria.
Keywords: Cash, Deposit Money Banks, Financial Reporting Quality., Investment, Nigeria, Profit after tax
Corporate Board Size, Risk Management and Financial Performance of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (Published)
This study examined the effect of corporate board size, risk management on financial performance of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria for the period of 2011-2016. The population of the study is fifteen (15) listed deposit money banks in Nigeria out of which a sample of fourteen (14) were used for the study due to the accessibility and availability of data. Corporate board size and risk management as the independent variable was proxy with numbers of board of directors, liquidity risk, credit risk and operating risk, while the return on equity(ROE) and earnings per share (EPS) were used to proxy financial performance. Data were collected from secondary source through the annual report and account of the banks for the period under study and the data was analysed using multiple panel regression techniques. The findings reveal that board size, credit risk and operating risk are significant negative effect on return on equity (ROE) and earnings per share (EPS) respectively. The study also shows that liquidity risk is negative and insignificant effect on ROE and EPS of the study banks in Nigeria. It is recommended among others that the banks should regulate their risk management practices and ensure they minimize the non-performing loan as it has been found empirically to reduce the quality of the firm’s financial performance. They should also reduce their operational cost for better performance
Keywords: Banks’, Corporate board size, Financial Performance, Nigeria, Risk Management
Effect of IFRS Adoption on Audit Fees of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (Published)
We ascertain the effects of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the audit fees payable by listed Deposit Money Banks (DMB) in Nigeria. Data for the study was collected from the annual reports of the 15 listed DMBs in Nigeria. The study period spanned two accounting standard regimes: the Nigerian Statements of Accounting Standards (SAS) (2009- 2011) and the IFRS (2012-2014). We analysed the effect of IFRS adoption on audit fees in Nigeria in two ways: first we compared audit fees and the known determinants (audit task complexity and reporting quality) under the two standards regimes using a paired-sample t-test. Second, we employed multivariate analysis to examine and explain the combined effect of audit task complexity, financial reporting quality and IFRS in explaining the change in audit fee following IFRS adoption. We found that audit fees are significantly higher under the IFRS than under the SAS; we also found that IFRS adoption has significantly increased audit complexity and improved financial reporting quality. We conclude that less than 50% of the significant increase in audit fees following IFRS adoption is explained by IFRS task complexities. We recommend further research to ascertain the other factors that could have led to the significant increase in audit fees of DMBs. Lastly, given that the quality of financial reporting increased with IFRS adoption recommend that accountants, regulatory authorities, professional bodies and all other parties in financial reporting chain should deepen their knowledge of IFRS.
Keywords: Audit Fees, IFRS adoption costs, Money Deposit Banking, Nigeria
The Tenuous Relationship between Oil Revenue and Nigeria’s Economic Growth (Published)
This study examined the relationship between revenue generation and economic growth in Nigeria during the 45-year period, 1971 to 2015. This period heralded the sweet side of global energy crisis that precipitated the petrodollar windfall following steep rise in crude oil prices and the sour side that saw the economy shrink as a result of downward spiral of or crash in global energy prices and/or decline in oil production (slump non-oil boom). Using the ANCOVA model, the study expressed the change in growth rate of GDP as a function of various dimensions of tax, chiefly, change in period lag values of value added tax, personal income tax, company income tax, petroleum profit tax and custom and excise duties with a dummy variable that captures the contribution of oil revenue windfall. The results showed no significant difference in average changes in economic growth between the oil boom and oil slump periods. This suggests that Nigeria’s petrodollar windfall had no significantly stimulating effect on the country’s growth and development trajectory during the 45 years. The findings of this study adumbrate the anecdotal evidence of poor resource governance architecture that has characterized not just Nigeria’s petroleum industry but also the country’s macroeconomic management. The resonance with, and the attendant lesson from, the Dutch Disease Syndrome sequel to the country’s historicity of mismanagement of resources including the petro-dollar windfalls, is the major policy implication of this study
Keywords: Dutch Disease, Nigeria, Oil Boom And Slump, Oil Revenue Windfall, Resource Course, economic growth
The Association between Audit Quality and Earnings Management by Listed Firms in Nigeria (Published)
This study examines the association between audit quality and earnings management by listed firms in Nigeria. The study measures audit quality by audit firm size and earnings management by the absolute abnormal discretionary accruals using the modified Jones model. The study was carried out in two parts, the first part is the comparative study using independent sample t-test and the Wilcoxon signed ranked test. The second part is the multivariate analysis where the association between audit quality and earnings management was examined. Based on our analysis, we found that auditor size has restrained earnings management but the decrease is not statistically significant. The implication of this finding is that users should not blindly assume that high audit quality proxy by the big 4 auditor is a symbol of earnings quality.
Keywords: Audit Quality, Earnings Management, Nigeria, auditor size
Empirical Analysis of Tax Revenue Collection by the Federal Government in Nigeria (Published)
The main objective of this study is to analysis tax revenue collection by the Federal government in Nigeria. The study adopted quantitative research design; the secondary data will be obtained from the FIRS in respect of the total tax revenue collected from the oil and non-oil taxes for the period of 2011-2015. The population of the study is made up of Federal Inland Revenue Services and the sample size is Planning, Reporting and Statistics Departments. The findings from the study revealed that Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty, Education Tax and Petroleum Profit Tax are positively significant at 1%, 5% and 10% respectively while Company Income Tax and Value Added Tax are not significant. However, Company income tax has more total collected revenue than all the remaining variables. Therefore, it is recommended that government should enhance the collection of tax revenue processes and ensure that any deviations from compliance with the laid down rules and regulations are severally dealt with and punished accordingly
Keywords: FIRS, Federal government, Nigeria, Tax Revenue, revenue collection
Corporate Governance and Audit Quality in Nigeria: Evidence from the Banking Industry (Published)
This study examined the relationship between corporate governance and the quality of auditor’s report with evidence from the Nigerian Banking Industry. The research design adopted for this study is the ex-post facto as the research relied on historic data. Eleven (11) deposit money banks quoted on the Nigerian Stocks Exchange were sampled. In testing our hypothesis, the correlation analysis was applied to a dataset covering seven (7) years from 2007 to 2014 that is the post-corporate governance period. Analysis suggests that while board composition has a negative and insignificant relationship with audit quality, separation of the roles of the CEO from that of the chairman of the board, board size, and composition of the audit committee has positive and significant relationship with audit quality. Furthermore, findings also show that ownership concentration has a positive but insignificant relationship with audit quality. Findings also show that the strength of the positive linear relationship between the separation of the roles of the CEO from that of the chairman of the board and the audit quality is as high as 0.702377 or 70.23% followed by the relationship between board size and audit quality which stood at 0.452896 or 45.28%. However, the study thus concludes that effective corporate governance arises out of responsible and simultaneous vigilant actions by the managers, the board of Directors, shareholders and auditors. Good financial Reporting from the external auditors is an important building block of corporate governance because the information provided to the shareholders has to be optimal in terms of cost and benefits. The study also recommends that the relationship between management and shareholders have to be characterized by transparency and fairness.
Keywords: Audit Quality, Board Composition, Board size, Corporate Governance, Nigeria
Effect Of Management Of Receivables Ratio on Corporate Profitability of Industrial/Domestic Products in Nigeria (Published)
This study examines the effect of the management of accounts receivable ratio on the profitability of industrial/Domestic products manufacturing firms in Nigeria.The variables of this study include accounts receivable ratio, debt ratio and sales growth rate. Only secondary sources of data were used for the period 2000-2011. The hypotheses were tested using the multiple regression technique. The results show that accounts receivable ratio, debt ratio and sales growth rate had positive and significant relationship with the profitability of the firms under study
Keywords: Corporate profitability, Industrial and Domestic Products, Management, Nigeria, Receivables Ratio