Mediating Effect Of Audit Committee Expertise On Integrated Reporting Quality And Financial Performance Of Listed Consumer Goods Companies In Nigeria

This study examined the mediating effect of audit committee financial expertise on integrated reporting quality and the financial performance of listed consumer goods companies in Nigeria. The study employed an ex post facto research design. The population and sample comprised all 16 consumer goods companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX). Secondary data were collected from the annual reports and accounts of the sampled companies through content analysis. Data for the dependent variable were extracted from 2014 to 2024, while integrated reporting quality (IRQ) data were obtained from the MachameRatios Database. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings showed that integrated reporting quality (IRQ) has a significant effect on Tobin’s Q (TQ) of listed consumer goods companies in Nigeria. There is also a significant mediating effect of audit committee financial expertise (ACFE) on the relationship between integrated reporting quality and Tobin’s Q of listed consumer goods companies in Nigeria. The study concluded that integrated reporting quality (IRQ) significantly affects the financial performance of listed consumer goods companies in Nigeria through both direct and indirect pathways. It recommended that companies adopt integrated reporting as a mandatory practice due to its influence on financial performance, and that managers carefully monitor the costs associated with producing additional disclosures, as higher IRQ may negatively affect financial outcomes.