INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING, FINANCE AND TAXATION

Environmental, social, governance reporting plays a pivotal role in reporting, yet it has been riddled with mixed findings, having a negative effect on the market value. In order to increase trust, there is the need of reporting the non-financials of firm. To navigate this complex issue, this study investigates the effect of environmental reporting, social reporting, and governance reporting on the market performance of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Using a longitudinal research design where secondary data was collected from the annual reports of 27 listed manufacturing firms over a ten-year period (2013–2022), panel least squares was used to analyse the relationships between the variables. The results revealed a positive and statistically insignificant relationship among environmental reporting, governance reporting and the market performance however, social reporting revealed a negative and insignificant effect on the market performance of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The study concludes that environmental, social, and governance reporting does not significantly affect the market performance of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

This study examined aggressive tax planning as an emerging environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk, focusing on its implications for corporate governance, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability in Nigeria. Guided by two objectives, the research developed corresponding research questions and hypotheses. A descriptive and explanatory research design, combined with an ex-post facto approach, was employed to analyze fiscal policy and economic growth variables using data spanning 2010 to 2024. The study framework included independent variables such as Effective Tax Rate and Book Tax Differences, with Firm Size as a control variable, while Community Investment Intensity served as the dependent variable. Findings indicate that aggressive tax planning, particularly as measured by Book Tax Differences, negatively affects ESG-related outcomes, suggesting that firms engaging in tax avoidance may underinvest in socially responsible and environmentally sustainable initiatives. Conversely, a higher Effective Tax Rate and larger firm size were associated with moderately better ESG performance, highlighting the role of tax compliance and resource availability in promoting sustainable practices. The analysis also identified cross-sectional dependence and long-run cointegration among the variables, confirming that ESG performance and tax planning behaviors are interconnected across firms over time. Based on these insights, the study recommends that firms align their tax strategies with sustainable business practices by adhering to tax regulations and avoiding aggressive tax planning that could compromise ESG objectives.

This research explores the relative efficacy of two basic elements of corporate governance board composition and resources versus board diligence and activity in driving Digital Financial Reporting (DFR) disclosure among Nigerian listed firms. The study examined longitudinal data from 2012 to 2023 using a theoretical framework that combines Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) and Signalling Theory. The results of panel multiple regression consistently demonstrate that the main drivers of transparency are governance mechanisms that provide structural resources and legitimacy: Board Size (beta = 0.005, p < 0.001), Board Gender Diversity (beta = 0.002, p = 0.003), and Board Independence (beta = 0.003, p = 0.016) all show a strong, positive, and significant influence on DFR adoption. Board meetings, a proxy for diligence, on the other hand, exhibit a negative and statistically negligible effect (beta = -0.001, p = 0.067), indicating that activity alone does not result in a better digital disclosure approach. Additionally, DFR is adversely affected by Financial Gearing (Leverage), which is a major external restriction (beta = -0.002, p = 0.002). The results provide important policy recommendations for improving corporate accountability in emerging countries, concluding that the board's composition quality is a better indicator of proactive digital transparency than its activity level.