MODERATING EFFECT OF FIRM AGE ON AUDIT COMMITTEE ATTRIBUTES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING LAG OF LISTED INSURANCE FIRMS IN NIGERIA

Authors

Keywords:

Audit Committee Independence, Audit Committee Diligence, Financial Reporting Lag,, Firm Age, Insurance Firms

Abstract

Financial reporting delays remain a significant governance concern because late financial information may lose relevance for investors, regulators and other stakeholders. This study examined the moderating effect of firm age on the relationship between audit committee independence and diligence and financial reporting lag among listed insurance firms in Nigeria. The study was anchored on Stakeholder Theory and Resource Dependency Theory. A correlational research design was adopted using secondary data from the annual reports and accounts of 12 listed insurance firms over 2016–2025, producing 120 firm-year observations. Pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed-effects and random-effects panel models were estimated, while the Breusch–Pagan Lagrange Multiplier and Hausman specification tests guided model selection. Heteroskedasticity was detected and robust standard errors were therefore used for inference. The results indicate that audit committee independence has no significant relationship with financial reporting lag. Audit committee diligence has a positive and significant relationship with financial reporting lag, while firm age also has a positive and significant relationship with financial reporting lag. Firm age does not significantly moderate the independence relationship with financial reporting lag but significantly moderates audit committee diligence relationship with financial reporting lag. The study concludes that meeting frequency alone does not necessarily translate into faster reporting and that the governance effect of diligence varies with organisational age. It recommends stronger substantive audit committee oversight, early resolution of reporting bottlenecks and age-sensitive governance interventions

Dimensions

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Published

2026-10-21

How to Cite

Jidda, I. M., Abdullahi, M., & Bala, H. (2026). MODERATING EFFECT OF FIRM AGE ON AUDIT COMMITTEE ATTRIBUTES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING LAG OF LISTED INSURANCE FIRMS IN NIGERIA. FUDMA Journal of Business Management, 4(2), 310-326. https://doi.org/10.70882/fjbm.2026.v4i2.139

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): FUDMA Journal of Business Management

Section

Articles
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ismail Muhammad Jidda, Murtala Abdullahi, Hussaini Bala (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Jidda, I. M., Abdullahi, M., & Bala, H. (2026). MODERATING EFFECT OF FIRM AGE ON AUDIT COMMITTEE ATTRIBUTES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING LAG OF LISTED INSURANCE FIRMS IN NIGERIA. FUDMA Journal of Business Management, 4(2), 310-326. https://doi.org/10.70882/fjbm.2026.v4i2.139