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Effect Of Audit Quality on Shareholders’ Confidence in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks: An Empirical Assessment of First Bank of Nigeria PLC
Subject area: Management and Commerce · Area of research: Accounting
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719650
Abstract
This study examined the effect of audit quality on shareholders’ confidence in Nigerian deposit money banks, using First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Lokoja as a case study. The study was anchored on Agency Theory and Stakeholder Theory, which emphasize the importance of accountability, transparency, and credible financial reporting in enhancing investor trust. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design and relied exclusively on secondary data obtained from the published annual reports and audited financial statements of First Bank PLC covering the period 2015–2024. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that auditor independence has a significant effect on shareholders’ confidence (F = 7.91, p = 0.018). The study also found that audit fees significantly affect shareholders’ confidence (F = 9.32, p = 0.009). Furthermore, audit report timeliness was found to have a significant effect on shareholders’ confidence (F = 12.44, p = 0.002). The results indicate that improvements in audit quality contribute significantly to increased shareholders’ confidence through enhanced credibility, transparency, and reliability of financial reporting. The study concluded that audit quality is a critical determinant of shareholders’ confidence in Nigerian deposit money banks. The study recommends that regulatory authorities should strengthen auditor independence requirements, banks should ensure adequate audit remuneration to support effective audit processes, and management should promote timely release of audited financial statements to enhance investor confidence.
Keywords
Audit Quality, Auditor Independence, Audit Fees, Audit Report Timeliness, Shareholders’ Confidence, Deposit Money Banks, First Bank PLC.
How to cite this paper
@article{1719650,
author = {Elias Samuel Unekwu, Onoja John},
title = {Effect Of Audit Quality on Shareholders’ Confidence in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks: An Empirical Assessment of First Bank of Nigeria PLC},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {1032-1041},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719650.pdf},
abstract = {This study examined the effect of audit quality on shareholders’ confidence in Nigerian deposit money banks, using First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Lokoja as a case study. The study was anchored on Agency Theory and Stakeholder Theory, which emphasize the importance of accountability, transparency, and credible financial reporting in enhancing investor trust. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design and relied exclusively on secondary data obtained from the published annual reports and audited financial statements of First Bank PLC covering the period 2015–2024. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that auditor independence has a significant effect on shareholders’ confidence (F = 7.91, p = 0.018). The study also found that audit fees significantly affect shareholders’ confidence (F = 9.32, p = 0.009). Furthermore, audit report timeliness was found to have a significant effect on shareholders’ confidence (F = 12.44, p = 0.002). The results indicate that improvements in audit quality contribute significantly to increased shareholders’ confidence through enhanced credibility, transparency, and reliability of financial reporting. The study concluded that audit quality is a critical determinant of shareholders’ confidence in Nigerian deposit money banks. The study recommends that regulatory authorities should strengthen auditor independence requirements, banks should ensure adequate audit remuneration to support effective audit processes, and management should promote timely release of audited financial statements to enhance investor confidence.},
keywords = {Audit Quality, Auditor Independence, Audit Fees, Audit Report Timeliness, Shareholders’ Confidence, Deposit Money Banks, First Bank PLC.},
month = {July},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719650}
}