TESTING THE NEXUS BETWEEN BOARD CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITY OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING IN NIGERIAN DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to tests the nexus between board characteristics and the quality of sustainability reporting in Nigerian deposit money banks. Methods/Analysis: The study employed an ex-post-facto research design with a total population of Thirty-three (33) listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. A sample size of nineteen (19) banks was selected through a combination of stratified and purposive sampling techniques. Quantitative sources of data were used. The statistical methods used were descriptive statistics, Augmented Dickey-Fuller, Co-integration, and regression analyses to test the nexus between board characteristics and quality of sustainability reporting at a significance level of 0.05. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller test and co-integration analysis established the stationarity of all variables with no significant co-integration. Findings: The finding of the study revealed that residuals possess a unit root. Ordinary least square analysis and revealed the following probability outcomes: Board composition (p-value of 0.0464 < 0.05), board independence (p-value 0.0752 > 0.05), and board gender diversity (p-value 0.1262 > 0.05). Therefore, hypothesis one was upheld, while hypotheses two and three were rejected. Thus, hypothesis three demonstrated a negative, significant influence on the quality of sustainability reporting in Nigerian deposit money banks. Novelty /Improvement: The novelty of testing the nexus between board characteristics and the quality of sustainability reporting in Nigerian deposit money banks lies in its focus on a specific context and its examination of an understudied relationship. This research is relevant in addressing the Nigerian banking sector, which operates within a unique economic, regulatory, and cultural environment. Sustainability reporting practices within this context provides insights that may not be applicable to other regions or industries. The prior research has examined various factors influencing sustainability reporting, but the role of board characteristics in shaping sustainability reporting practices remains relatively unexplored, particularly in the Nigerian banking sector. KEYWORDS: Board Characteristics, Quality Reporting, Sustainability and Deposit Money Banks