External Audit Characteristics and Value Relevance of Listed Firms in Nigeria

This study examined the effect of external audit characteristics and value relevance of listed firms in Nigeria. The study focused on the effect of external audit objectivity, external audit efficiency, external audit timeliness, and external audit competence on the value relevance proxied by the earnings response coefficient of listed firms in Nigeria. The study adopted the ex post facto research design, and sixteen listed companies on the Nigerian Exchange Group were selected, for a period of ten years 2013–2022 . The data for the study were analysed using the panel regression technique. The results show that external audit objectivity and external audit timeliness significantly affect the earnings response coefficient of listed firms in Nigeria. It was also discovered that external audit efficiency and external audit competence, on the other hand, do not significantly affect earnings response coefficients in listed firms in Nigeria. Based on the findings, it is therefore recommended that audit firms and regulatory agencies should ensure that external audit objectivity is sustained, as this is critical to enhancing the value relevance of firms' financial reports. Utuk, Edidem Okon | Onodi, Benjamin Ezugwu "External Audit Characteristics and Value Relevance of Listed Firms in Nigeria" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-8 | Issue-3 , June 2024, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd64903.pdf Paper Url: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/accounting-and-finance/64903/external-audit-characteristics-and-value-relevance-of-listed-firms-in-nigeria/utuk-edidem-okon