AUDIT FIRM SIZE, AUDIT TENURE, AND AUDIT FEES AS CORRELATE OF AUDITORS' SWITCHING DECISIONS AMONG LISTED NIGERIAN FIRMS.

This study examined the influence of audit firm size, audit tenure, and audit fees on auditor switching decisions among Nigeria’s listed non-financial firms. Probit regression analysis was employed to test three hypotheses using a panel dataset comprising 912 firm-year observations over a 12-year period. Findings reveal that audit firm size does not significantly affect switching decisions (p = 0.694), while audit firms’ foreign affiliation has a significant positive effect (p = 0.029), suggesting a preference for technically superior or reputable audit firms. Audit tenure emerged as a significant determinant (p = 0.000), with longer tenures reducing the likelihood of switching to a different one. However, the regulated audit tenure had no significant effect (p = 0.516). Furthermore, audit fee itself was not a significant factor (p = 0.888), but audit-related fees were positively associated with switching decisions (p = 0.003), implying that higher non-audit services may influence firms’ decisions to change auditors. This study confirms the absence of multicollinearity with robust model diagnostics. These results underscore the importance of perceived auditor independence and regulatory compliance in audit engagement decisions. The study recommends that regulators strengthen oversight of audit tenure and non-audit services to enhance transparency and investor confidence in Nigeria’s corporate reporting landscape