Public Sector Audit Practice and Accountability of Federal Government Ministries in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between public sector auditing practice and accountability in federal government ministries in Nigeria. Specifically, it investigates the relationships between public sector audit dimensions financial audit, compliance audit, and performance audit and accountability outcomes, with emphasis on social accountability. Primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire administered to officers drawn from the twenty-six (26) federal ministries in Nigeria.
Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)
regression techniques were employed to test the study’s hypotheses using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 23.0).The findings reveal that financial audit exhibits a positive but statistically insignificant relationship with social accountability, while compliance audit and performance audit demonstrate positive and statistically significant relationships with social accountability. The results further indicate that adherence to auditing standards strengthens the effectiveness of public sector auditing in promoting accountability within federal government ministries. Consequently, the study recommends the sustained application of financial, compliance, and performance audits across federal ministries to enhance transparency and accountability. It further emphasizes the need for annual audits, strengthened institutional independence of audit units, and the recruitment and continuous training of qualified audit personnel to improve audit efficiency and public sector governance