OKOROGBA, Lucky Joel, Phd &EBIYEMI, God’stime Rowland, Phd
Corporate Governance Attributes and Financial Reporting Credibility in Telecommunications Business Subsector of the Nigeria Economy
Abstract
With a focus on board independence and gender diversity as important governance mechanisms and earnings quality as indicators of reporting credibility, this study investigated the impact of corporate governance characteristics on financial reporting credibility in the Nigerian Telecommunications Business subsector. This study adopted an ex-post facto research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select six telecommunications firms with complete financial reports and governance disclosures over the study period The underpinned theory is the Agency theory. The data instrument for this study was secondary. The study used multiple regression using EViews to examine the effect using secondary data from the annual reports and audited financial statements of six listed telecommunications companies between 2018 and 2025. The results show that board independence has a positive and significant impact on earnings quality, and that board gender diversity has a positive and significant impact on financial statement transparency and earnings quality. This suggests that inclusive and diverse boards enhance ethical oversight and decision-making. Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening board independence, promoting gender diversity, enhancing governance policies, and providing continuous board training to improve financial reporting credibility. The study is limited by its focus on listed telecommunications firms, reliance on secondary data, and exclusion of other governance variables, highlighting opportunities for further research on additional governance mechanisms, sectoral comparisons, and the long-term impact of governance reforms on reporting quality.
