Audit Quality and Earnings Management of Listed Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates whether there is any relationship between audit committee characteristics and financial restatement. Using secondary data over the period from 2009 to 2020 of 12 non- financial firms, the results of the Panel Estimated Generalized Least Squares (EGLS Period SUR) reveal that audit firm size, audit tenure, audit fees, audit firm age and joint audit are negatively and statistically significant with earnings management while audit independence has a positive and significant impact of earnings management. The overall results shows that audit quality significantly influenced earnings management and that help in reducing managers tendencies to reduce the practices of managing earnings for whatever the reasons. The study concludes with some recommendations for better performance reporting.