INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING, FINANCE AND TAXATION

This study examined the influence of Forensic Accounting Intelligence Analytics (FAIA) on investment fraud prevention in Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated the effects of Financial Data Mining Analytics, Financial Net-Worth Analytics, Financial Background Analytics, Financial Link Analytics, and Financial Predictive Analytics on five dimensions of investment fraud prevention. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 219 professional forensic experts in Nigeria. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that forensic accounting intelligence analytics significantly enhances investment fraud prevention, although the magnitude of influence varied across the different dimensions of fraud risk. Overall, the study established that integrating intelligence-driven analytical techniques strengthens the proactive identification and prevention of investment fraud. The study concludes that Forensic Accounting Intelligence Analytics (FAIA) provides a comprehensive framework for improving investment fraud prevention in Nigeria. It recommends that investment institutions, regulators, and forensic professionals integrate intelligence-driven analytical tools into fraud risk management systems to strengthen proactive fraud prevention.

Acknowledging the significance of bank credits as a veritable avenue through which the gap in the availability of capital, needed for the production of goods and services, can be bridged for consequent increase in output. The study examined the relationship between deposit money banks’ sectoral allocation of credits and economic growth in Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the impact of deposit money banks’ credit allocated to the production, general commerce, service and ‘others’ sectors on real gross domestic product in Nigeria. The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Johansen approach to co-integration, error correction model (ECM) and Granger causality test were applied on annual time-series from 1981 to 2022. The findings indicated the presence of long-run (equilibrium) relationship between sectoral bank credit allocation and aggregate output in Nigeria. Specifically, the estimated regression result showed that bank credit allocated to the production, service and ‘others’ sectors have significant positive impact on real gross domestic product. On the other hand, bank credit allocated to general commerce sector has insignificant impact on real gross domestic product. These results were also corroborated by the outcome of Granger causality tests which indicated a significant bi-directional causality between credit to production sector and real gross domestic product. The study therefore therefore concluded that banks contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian economy during the period under review. Following the conclusion, the study therefore recommended among others that banks should be encouraged to lend more to the productive sector (real sector), especially to the preferred agricultural and manufacturing sectors of the economy as they have the capacity to generate employment and drive the economy to sustainable economic growth and development.

The study examined the influence of corporate social responsibility, audit quality and financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study covered a period from 2012-2024. Specifically, the study investigated whether board size, board independence, board gender diversity, board meetings on financial performance and whether such effects are strengthened or weakened by audit quality proxied by audit fees. Using panel data from eleven listed banks and employing pooled Ordinary Least Squares, fixed effects and random effects estimators, the fixed effects model emerged as the preferred specification following the Hausman test, thereby providing the most reliable basis for inference. The findings revealed that audit quality and board gender diversity records a positive but statistically insignificant coefficient for ROA (β = 0.0251). Audit quality and board meetings exerts a positive and weakly significant effect on ROA (β = 0.2308). Board independence (BODI) equally demonstrates a negative and statistically significant effect on return on assets (β = -0.0211,

This study examined the effect of managerial ability on Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) of listed conglomerate firms in Nigeria, a key indicator of investment efficiency and capital productivity in emerging economies. Despite extensive literature linking managerial competence to firm performance, empirical evidence remains inconsistent, particularly in developing-country conglomerates where institutional constraints may weaken this relationship. The study aimed to determine whether managerial ability significantly influences ROCE. A descriptive and explanatory research design was adopted using a ten-year panel dataset (2016–2025) from five listed Nigerian conglomerates, analyzed using Robust Least Squares regression to address heteroscedasticity and outlier effects. Managerial ability was proxied by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Sales Ratio, while ROCE served as the dependent variable, with leverage, firm size, and firm age as controls. The results revealed that DEA had a negative and statistically insignificant effect on ROCE (t = -1.21, p = 0.23), while leverage (t = 2.84, p = 0.01) and sales activity (t = 3.67, p = 0.00) were positive and significant, and firm age was negative and significant (t = -2.11, p = 0.04). The study concluded that managerial ability alone does not significantly drive ROCE, emphasizing the importance of structural and operational factors in investment efficiency.

External audit has become a fundamental area of audit research in recent times especially after the classical cases of audit failure experiences in major corporations. Audit of manufacturing firms have proven to be among the most worrisome for professional accountants because of the inadequacy of the internal controls as argued. This study examined external audit independence and its impact on the profitability of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria in Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was employed for this study. The population of the study consists of thirty-four (34) listed manufacturing firms registered and quoted on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) as at December, 2024. A purposive sampling technic was adopted to select ten (10) firms on the Nigerian Exchange Group archives for the period of 2005-2024. Inferential statistics such as panel regression analysis was used to analyse the collected data. Findings from the result of panel regression on the effects of external audit independence on the profitability selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria showed that two (2) out of the four (4) explanatory variables were significant in explaining the variation of profitability. These variables are eternal audit independence (0.0139) and regulatory oversight (0.0219). The study revealed that there is significant relationship between external audit independence and the profitability of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that manufacturing firms should prioritize maintaining the independence of their external auditors. This can be achieved by implementing strict internal policies that limit the influence of management on audit processes.

This study examines the impact of fair value accounting on financial reporting of corporate organisations in Nigeria, focusing on its challenges and benefits. Fair value accounting provides relevant and transparent financial information and enhancing decision-making for stakeholders. Despite challenges such as subjectivity and market volatility, fair value accounting is essential for reflecting economic reality in financial reporting. The study's findings suggest that the benefits of fair value accounting, including increased transparency and comparability, outweigh its challenges. The study recommends clear guidance on fair value measurement, robust valuation models, and transparent disclosures. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on fair value accounting and provides insights for regulators, companies, investors, and future research.

This study investigated the effects of monetary policy on the return on equity (ROE) of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria between 1990 and 2023. Monetary policy rate, interest rate, liquidity ratio and cash reserve ratio were monetary policy tools considered. Data on the aforementioned variables were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin and the World Bank (World Development Indicators). The data were exposed to Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root and descriptive analyses. Following unit root tests, Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) analytical technique was adopted for further analysis. Results revealed that in the short run, one year lagged return on equity has positive insignificant effect on ROE; monetary policy rate has positive and significant influence on ROE; interest rate and cash reserve ratio have inverse but significant effects on ROE while the effect of liquidity ratio is both negative and insignificant. In the long run, monetary policy rate and cash reserve ratio have direct effects on ROE of banks while interest rate and liquidity ratio have inverse effects on banks’ ROE in Nigeria. However, only the effects of monetary policy rate and interest rate were statistically significant. The study concluded that monetary policy has a significant effect on the ROE of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Thus, there is need for relevant authorities like the Central Bank of Nigeria to optimize monetary policy rate; policy makers should be cautious when adjusting interest rates, as it may negatively impact banks’ profitability; the monetary authority should consider reducing the cash reserve ratio in order to increase DMBs’ lendable funds and improve profitability; and it is important for policymakers to monitor banks’ liquidity levels in order to ensure they maintain a healthy balance between liquidity and profitability. 

This study examines public budget allocation and utilization in Nigeria’s health, education, and agriculture sectors using annual data from 2011 to 2023. These sectors play critical roles in ensuring human capital development, food security, and overall socio-economic advancement, yet concerns persist regarding persistent budget underutilization and inefficiencies in public spending. Using secondary data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, Budget Office reports, and sectoral expenditure summaries, the study employed descriptive statistical techniques, including measures of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, kurtosis, and the Jarque–Bera normality test. Findings reveal consistent patterns of underutilization across all three sectors, as actual spending remained significantly below budgeted allocations over the study period. Budget allocations increased substantially in nominal terms, particularly for education and health, but spending efficiency did not improve proportionally. The results show positive skewness and moderate leptokurtosis, indicating occasional years of unusually high allocations that contributed to volatility. Trend analysis further indicates widening gaps between budgeted and actual expenditures, suggesting systemic issues in fund releases, implementation bottlenecks, and weak fiscal discipline. These findings align with recent empirical evidence emphasizing inefficiencies in public sector spending in Nigeria and extend theoretical insights from public choice theory and fiscal federalism by illustrating how institutional and administrative constraints undermine optimal resource utilization. The study concludes that improving budget implementation mechanisms, strengthening monitoring frameworks, and enhancing fiscal accountability are critical for converting increased public allocations into meaningful development outcomes. Recommendations are offered to support more effective budget execution and sectoral performance.

Rising level of public debt and surged debt servicing obligations have become major problems for economic stability and growth in Nigeria. A large proportion of revenue by governments is often spent on debt repayment and there is concern as to the effect of debt servicing on growth. This study investigated the relationship between debt servicing and economic growth in Nigeria where the proxies for debt servicing were domestic debt servicing (DDS) and foreign debt servicing (FDS), while the indicator of economic growth was the gross domestic product (GDP). The research was based on the debt overhang theory, Keynesian theory of public debt, and the Solow growth theory. The research design used in this study is ex-post facto research design and the philosophy of research used is positivism. Secondary time series data spanning the time-period 1986 to 2024 were obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and World Bank Developments Indicators. The population of the study were Nigeria's macroeconomic data in the study period and the sample size were 39 annual data selected with the help of census sampling technique. Data were analysed by adopting methods of descriptive statistics, Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit Root Test, cointegration test of Johansen and ECMs were parsimonious error correction model (ECM) at 5% level of significance. The results showed that domestic debt servicing is negatively and significantly impacting GDP, whereas the foreign debt servicing has a positive and significant impact on economic growth in Nigeria. The study therefore concludes that excessive domestic debt servicing is growth inhibiting whereas productive use of foreign borrowing may be growth fostering. The study recommends prudent debt management at the domestic level, productive use of external debt and enhanced fiscal transparency. The research contributes to the knowledge by highlighting the empirical evidence regarding differential impacts of domestic and foreign debt servicing on economic growth in Nigeria.

This article examined the relationship between Cost Management Techniques and Organizational Performance in Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria. Relevant data was collected and analyzed using regression method and e-view Statistical Package. The result of the first hypothesis tested reveals that cost management has a significant positive influence on Net Profit (p < 0.05), meaning that a unit increase in CMI increases Net Profit by 0.752 units. Also, the second hypothesis showed that Cost Management has a significant positive influence on the Financial Management Systems, meaning that (p

This article synthesizes on Community Development Costs and Net Profit Margin on quoted oil and gas companies in Nigeria—two of the most debated components of CSR–performance research in Africa. Using longitudinal panel data from 2012–2022, the study applied multiple regression, Error Correction Estimate and Causality Testing. The results reveal that community development cost has a significant positive relationship with net profit margin, confirming the view that strategic CSR enhances both corporate legitimacy and financial outcomes. The paper concludes with practical policy recommendations as pathways for leveraging CSR and a profit-enhancing strategy in resource-dependent communities. The study also emphasizes the inevitability and urgent need for CSR in the contemporary society if there should be harmonious oil companies’ operations in the host communities. Most importantly, the cost that would have been saved, if properly invested in CSR should have greater positive multiplier effects and bring about better community development and oil companies profitability.

This study examined the relationship between virtual servicescape and customer purchase intention of telecommunication firms in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The virtual servicescape was conceptualized through aesthetic appeal, layout, and functionality. Anchored on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Theory, the study adopted a correlational research design to determine the strength and direction of the relationships among the variables. Data were collected from 40 managers from four (4) telecommunications companies in Yenagoa. The study used census sampling and studied the entire population. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC). The findings revealed that aesthetic appeal, layout, and functionality each have a strong positive and statistically significant relationship with customer purchase intention. This implies that customers are more likely to engage in purchase behavior when telecommunication websites and applications are visually appealing, logically structured, and technically efficient. The study concluded that virtual servicescape is a critical determinant of customer behavioral intention in the digital marketing environment. It recommended that telecommunication firms in Bayelsa State should enhance the aesthetic quality, navigational layout, and functional performance of their online platforms to improve customer experiences and drive stronger purchase intentions.

This study examines the impact of the quality of trade receivables quality and cash holdings on firm value among listed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria from 2013 to 2023. Using Panel Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) regression, the results show that poor receivables quality (TRCQI) and high cash holdings significantly reduce firm value. Receivables turnover also has a negative effect, suggesting that overly aggressive recovery may harm long-term value. Non-performing loan ratio and loan loss provisions show insignificant effects. The study concludes that efficient receivables management and optimal cash utilization are essential for enhancing firm value. DMBs should improve credit oversight, avoid excessive liquidity, adopt balanced recovery strategies, and enhance transparency to boost investor confidence.

The infrastructural deficit in developing countries necessitates alternative financing mechanisms beyond government funding, with Sukuk bonds emerging as a viable solution. This study examines the role of Sukuk bonds in promoting infrastructural development in Nigeria’s South-West geopolitical zone. Using historical data from the Debt Management Office and case studies of Sukuk-funded projects, the study highlights the issuance, types, and Shariah-compliant principles of Sukuk, including Ijara, Musharaka, Murabaha, Mudaraba, Istisna, and Salam structures. The analysis demonstrates that Sukuk financing has facilitated the development and rehabilitation of critical road networks, such as the Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu dual carriageway and the Ibadan-Ilorin road, thereby addressing funding gaps, reducing project completion times, and boosting investor participation. Lessons from the South-West experience emphasize the importance of government intervention, public-private partnerships, long-term planning, diversified funding sources, regional cooperation, and inclusive infrastructure for sustainable economic growth. The study concludes that Sukuk bonds represent an effective and replicable financing tool for infrastructure development in Nigeria, enhancing financial inclusion, capital market depth, and economic growth prospects.

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.