Moderating Role of Government Commitment to Reforms on the Impact of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) on Financial Reporting Quality in Niger State Public Sector

Abstract

This study examines the moderating role of government commitment to reforms on the impact of international public sector accounting standards on financial reporting quality in the Niger State public sector. Three (3) objectives were formulated using transparency, comparability, and monitoring systems. Survey research design and primary data were used for the study. The copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents which were designed in a structured form according to the three (3) research questions. The population of the study consists of all the staff of the Niger State Ministry of Finance. The element of the population comprises all the 190 staff of the ministry. Since the population size is not much, the researcher used all the population sizes for the study. Validation of the instrument was done. The result of their responses was correlated using the Cronbach Alpha formula, with a Coefficient Value of 0.82 obtained for internal consistency. Data collected for the study were analyzed by the researcher using frequency counts, mean scores, and standard deviation. The 4 hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistical tools with the aid of SPSS version 23.0 at a 5% level of significance. The findings from the regression analyses and hypothesis tests reveal significant relationships and impacts of transparency, comparability, and monitoring systems on the quality of financial reports in Nigeria’s public sector. While there is substantial support from the literature for these findings, some studies indicate variability in the impact depending on contextual and implementation factors. The combination of transparency and comparability, moderated by effective monitoring systems, appears crucial for enhancing financial reporting quality. The study recommends among others that Enhance Transparency Practices, Public sector organizations should implement and strengthen practices that enhance the clarity and openness of their financial reporting. This could include adopting standardized reporting formats and making financial documents easily accessible to the public, and Implement Effective Monitoring Systems, Develop and implement robust monitoring systems that are designed to enhance transparency. This can include systems for tracking financial transactions and reporting discrepancies.