ACCOUNTING STANDARD AND THE QUALITY OF FINANCIAL REPORTING IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
This study is motivated by a desire to examine the influence of accounting standards on financial reporting in Nigeria banking sector. In light of the empirical review and other discussions, a number of questions arose as to whether the effects of the various accounting standards issued by the NASB on financial reporting in Nigeria and to check the level of compliance to standards issued by the NASB by business entities in Nigeria. Questionnaire was administered to some selected staff of the sampled respondents in Nigeria. Data was collected and analyzed using the simple percentage, descriptive statistics and chi-square statistical tool. This study revealed among other things that the NASB should ensure that its standards suit the Nigeria business environment so as to meet up with our local reporting needs. It is recommended that the standards should be continuously reviewed in the light of relative charges in the environment to make them relevant in financial reporting.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study                    
Statements of the Problem                
Research Objectives                    
Research Hypotheses                          
Scope of Study                            
Limitations of Study                        
Significance of the Study                
References                            
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1    The Need for Financial Reporting            
2.2    Characteristics of Useful Accounting Information            
2.3    Forms and Contents of Financial Statements        
2.4    Regulation of Financial Reporting                
2.5    Accounting Standards                        
2.6    Conceptual Framework for Accounting Standards    
References                                
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction                                 
Research Design                             
Sources and Methods of Data Collection                 
Research Instruments                         
Characteristics of the Population                     
Sampling and Sampling Design                 
Data Presentation                            
Data Analysis and Statistical Tools                
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0    Introduction                                 
4.1    Analysis of Questionnaires by Respondents        
4.2    Testing of Hypothesis                         
CHAPTER FIVE:    SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
Introduction                            
Summary of the Findings                        
Discussion of the Findings                
Recommendation for Future Research            
Conclusion                                 
Bibliography                         
Appendix                                 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Prudent business decision-making thrives on the availability of reliable financial information. The items of financial information relied upon by economic decision-makers are contained in corporate financial reports (including income statement/profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and value added statement). The decision-makers are many and varied in their goals. They can be classified into separate interest groups. There is the equity investor group, including existing and potential shareholders and holders of convertible securities, options or warrants. The second group consists of the loan creditor groups, including existing and potential holders of debentures and loan stock and providers of short-term secured and unsecured loans and finances. In the third group is the employee group; this is made up of analyst-advisers, including financial analysis and journalists, economic, statisticians, researchers, trade unions, stockbrokers and other providers of advisory services such as credit-rating agencies. The fifth group consists of the business contact group. These are customers, trade creditors and suppliers and, in a different sense, competitors, business rivals including those interested in mergers, amalgamations, departments, agencies concerned with the supervision of commerce and industry, with local authorities. The final group comprises the public, including taxpayers, rate payers, consumers and other communities as special interest groups, such as political parties, consumers, environmental protection agencies, local and regional pressure groups (Alexander and Britton, 1988).
    A striking feature of these is that their information requirements are sometimes in conflict with one another, when attempt is made to satisfy them simultaneously, in a single financial report. For example, government’s requirement for financial information for purpose of taxation may be incompatible with the management’s decision to minimize tax liability. Although tax avoidance is legitimate, sometimes, management’s evasion, which is an illegal act. Tax evasion is a deliberate action to refuse to pay tax and is regarded as a criminal offence. Environmental agencies (like Federal Agency) are interested in the protection of the environment in which the business organization operates, thereby entailing huge corporate capital expenditure, whereas the business organization naturally aspires to maximize profits and cash inflows by minimizing costs. The maximization of corporate cash outflows towards improved conditions of service as part of the staff welfare package is a constant item on the agenda of trade union, but management would always like to postpone upward wages and emoluments review for as long as possible. Ordinary shareholders with short-term focus may not be supportive of transferring profits to reserves. They would rather prefer the firm to apply a substantial portion of the profit to pay immediate dividends. Each group of users, therefore, tends to perceive the reliability of financial statements from its own narrow interest.
    However, the International Accounting Standards Committee (1989) is of the opinion that:
While all the information needs of all these users cannot be met by financial statements, there are needs which are common to all users. As investor are providers of risk capital to the enterprise, the provision of financial statements that meet their needs will also meet most of the needs of other users that financial statements can satisfy (Hendriksen and Ven Breda, 2001:146).
Also, it has been noted that ownership is different from management: hence there is a need to ensure that owners’ interests do not suffer in the hands of selfish management through unscrupulous manipulation of results reported in financial statements. The issues involved are captured in agency theory (Jensen and Mecking, 1976; Van Horne, 2001).
STATEMENTS OF THE PROBLEM
Investors are becoming worry of the Nigerian corporate accounting environment, based on the negative reports of the influential Transparency International (www.Transparency.org/cpi/2005), which ranked Nigeria the second most corrupt country in the world for 2003, the third most corrupt in 2004; and the sixth most corrupt in 2005, if necessary research effort is not spared, the lack of trust in corporate financial reporting could worsen with Nigeria losing  out in the stiff international competition for foreign direct investment. The generous fiscal incentives directed at attracting large portfolios of foreign direct investments to Nigeria appear to yield only marginal results because of inadequacy of financial reporting system (Adeyemi and Arowomole, 2004).
    Due to competition, globalization and the challenge of technology, the changing landscape of corporate financial reporting has probably led to aggressive financial reports, which fail to comply with the disclosure provisions, as specifically required by the accounting and reporting standards. The need to comply with the laws and standards is generally acknowledged as a problem.
    Professional indiscipline on the part of the preparers of financial statements and possible collusion of the parties involved in managing an organization’s financial reporting may be a problem. Current thinking in accounting now centre upon the need for the international harmonization of financial reporting.
Against this backdrop, the following research questions are raised:
How have standards issued by the NASB affected financial reporting in Nigeria?
How has the NASB ensure strict compliance to its standards by business entities in Nigeria?
What are the grey areas in financial reporting that have not been adequately addressed by the NASB through its standards?
How have standards issued by the NASB affected the uniformity and comparability of financial reports in Nigeria?
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The broad objective of this study is to examine the effect of the Nigerian Accounting Standard Board (NASB), on financial reporting in Nigeria.
Specifically, the objectives of this study include:
To study the effects of the various accounting standards issued by the NASB on financial reporting in Nigeria.
To check the level of compliance to standards issued by the NASB by business entities in Nigeria.
To identify grey areas in financial reporting that have not been adequately addressed by the NASB via its issued standards.
To check the impact of standards issued by the NASB on the  uniformity and comparability of financial reports in Nigeria
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES  
HO:    There is no relationship between quality of financial reporting and standards issued by the NASB.
    HI:    There is a relationship between quality of financial reporting and standards issued by the NASB.
HO:    There is no relationship between adequacy in measures put in place and compliance to standards.
    HI:    There is a relationship between adequacy in measures put in place and compliance to standards.
HO:    The standards are deficient in terms of area of coverage in financial reporting and as a result to do meet up with lime challenges.
    Hi:    The standards are not deficient in terms of area of coverage in financial reporting and meet up with time challenges.
HO:    There is no relationship between uniformity and comparability of financial reports and standards issued by the NASB.
    HI:    There is a relationship between uniformity and comparability of financial reports and standards issued by the NASB.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The study is focused on examining the effects of the various standards issued by the Nigerian Accounting Standards issued by the Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB) on financial reporting in Nigerian, and it is restricted in terms of the following:
Sample size: The research study is focused on the NASB, the preparers and users of financial reports, and the sample size is selected using the probability method of sampling.
Geographical coverage: This research study examines the influence of standards issued by the NASB on financial reporting in Nigeria from its inception to date (1982 to 2010).
Situs: This research study  was carried out in Benin City.
LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
The major constraints to this research were a problem associated with data gathering; reticence on the part of respondents, nonchalant attitude of financial reporting stakeholders to accounting research. Also time and financial resources were seriously constraints to this research.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study should enhance the understating and reliability of management and financial analysts’ forecasts of corporate earnings, thereby stimulating capital market operations. It has the potential of assisting stakeholders in knowing what is being disclosed, and why, in assessing the impact of compliance or non-compliance on the usefulness of financial statements. It is also hoped that the study will enhance the understanding of firm-level disclosures and compliance across industries in Nigeria. This will enable regulatory bodies to focus on areas of challenges and reduce information asymmetry. The study should also facilitate the functioning of directors of companies of all sizes, managers who have to deal with fixed assets, stock, work-in-progress, foreign currency, intangibles and other organizational resources, and accountants who need to update their knowledge of the impact of accounting standards.
REFERENCES
Adeyemi, S. B. (2005). Minimization of Financial Crimes: The Role of the Accountant. Paper accepted for publication in Global Journal of accounting.
Alexander, D., and A. Britton (1990). Financial Reporting UK: International Thomson Pub. Inc.
Arowomole (2004). The Effectiveness of Tax Incentives in Attracting For Foreign Investment to Nigeria. First Bank Quarterly Review.
Hendriksen, E. S. and M. U. Van Breda, (2001:146). Accounting Theory, New York: McGrew-Hill.