EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCES ON THE QUALITY OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTING IN THE NIGERIAN DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS

This study examines the impact of corporate governance on the quality of forensic accounting in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks. The increasing incidence of financial fraud, insider abuse, and regulatory breaches in the banking sector has raised concerns about the effectiveness of existing governance structures and fraud detection mechanisms. The study focuses on four key corporate governance components: executive directors’ shareholding, board composition, institutional shareholding, and audit committee effectiveness, and how these relate to the quality of forensic accounting practices in banks. The research adopts a descriptive survey design and utilizes secondary and primary data obtained from selected deposit money banks and relevant regulatory publications. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used in assessing the relationships between variables. The findings reveal that strong corporate governance practices significantly enhance the quality of forensic accounting, particularly through improved transparency, improved internal controls, and better fraud prevention systems. However, weaknesses such as board manipulation, conflict of interest, and insufficient enforcement of audit recommendations still pose challenges. The study concludes that strengthening corporate governance frameworks is essential in promoting effective forensic accounting practices in Nigerian banks. It recommends enhanced regulatory oversight, increased professional specialization among forensic accountants, and more robust enforcement of governance compliance standards to ensure integrity, accountability, and stakeholder confidence in the banking sector.