NEXUS BETWEEN FIRM ATTRIBUTES, ACCOUNTING REGULATIONS AND FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY OF LISTED NON-FINANCIAL FIRMS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates firm attributes, accounting regulations and financial reporting quality of non-financial firms in Nigeria. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design; with population of thirty-three (33) manufacturing firms based in Lagos State while the thirty (30) firms were stratified randomly from the chosen sample sized. The study used descriptive statistical analysis, inferential statistical analysis and panel data to analyse data collected from 2012 to 2023 of selected firms. The result of the findings indicated that CEO’s managerial ability (CMA) (ꞵ = 0.1318, p-value = .0009), audit committee gender diversity (ACG) (ꞵ = -0.5975, p-value = .000), risk management disclosure (RMD) (ꞵ = -1.7167, p-value = .0069), corporate control practice (CCP) (ꞵ = 0.1650, p-value = .000) and sustainability disclosure (SDP) (ꞵ = -0.7232, p-value = .604) and audit quality (AUQ) (ꞵ = 0.6607, p-value = .015), audit quality moderate with strategic development (AUQ_SDP) (ꞵ = 0.2418, p-value = .446) and audit quality moderated with risk management disclose (AUQ_RMD) (ꞵ = 0.4319, p-value = .046) . Thus CMA, CCP, AUQ and AUQ_RMD significantly strengthen financial reporting quality. ACG and RMD indicate weak financial reporting quality while SDP and AUQ_SDP show weak moderating effect on financial reporting quality. The study concludes that transparency and credibility of financial reports in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector depend on firm-specific attributes and sound accounting practices. It recommends ethics training for CEOs, inclusion of more women on audit committees, strict enforcement of disclosure regulations, fair compensation for ethical leadership, and engagement of reputable auditors.