Journal • CITN Journal

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Professor Rafiu Oyesola Salawu

Department of Management & Accounting, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

Managing Editor

Professor Godwin Emmanuel Oyedokun

Department of Management & Accounting, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria

Editorial Board Secretary

Mary-Fidelis Chidoziem Abiahu

Director, Research and Professional Standard, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria

Editorial Board Members

Professor Chinedum Nathaniel Nwezeaku

Federal University of Technology, Owerri

Professor John Adeoti

Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan

Professor Uche Jack-Osimiri

Faculty of Law, River State University, Port Harcourt

Professor Aruwa Suleiman Akwu-Odo Salihu

Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nasarawa State Nigeria

Dr. Eiya Ofiafoh Ofiafoh (Associate Professor)

Department of Accounting, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria

Dr. Stephen Chukwuemeka Mark Abani

MCSA Worldwide Projects Limited, Abuja, Nigeria

Dr. Kenny Adedapo Soyemi

Department of Accounting, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria

Professor Joseph Uchenna Uwaleke

Department of Banking & Finance, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Barrister Chukwuemeka Eze

Faculty of Law, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Mr. Simon Nwanmaghyi Kato

Federal Inland Revenue Service, Chairman’s Office, Abuja, Nigeria

ISSUES IN FINANCIAL REPORTING LAG

Description

ISSUES IN FINANCIAL REPORTING LAG

Authors

Sadiq Oshoke Akhor, Leslie Eyesan Dabor and Chinwuba Ambrose Okafor

Abstract

This paper examines the issues in financial reporting lag. It specifically attempts a critique on some important conceptual and practical issues that are worth pondering about when assessing the concept of financial reporting lag. Particularly, the paper identified and discussed four (4) of such issues which include: regulatory issues, external auditor-related issues, issues regarding early/late disclosure of 'good' or 'bad' news; and issues relating to the conceptualisation and measurement of financial reporting lag. As part of its critical evaluation, the paper disputes the existing pattern of definition and measurement of financial reporting lag and equally proposed a similar, but strikingly different approach to its conceptualisation and measurement. After the discussions of all other issues, the paper took its position by conjecturing that financial reporting lag is entirely inevitable, but can be avoided. By way of policy implication, the paper supports the idea of accelerated financial reporting proposals by some advanced countries in order to reduce financial reporting lag, in as much as the reliability of the reports are not traded-off as a result. The paper opens up two possible avenues for further studies; firstly by testing the new proposed measurement of financial reporting lags; and secondly by examining the implication of implementing an accelerated financial reporting framework in a developing market like Nigeria.

Keywords: