IMPACT OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTING STRATEGIES ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE TRENDS OF QUOTED OIL AND GAS FIRMS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the impact of forensic accounting strategies on financial performance trends of quoted oil and gas firms in Nigeria. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design, using secondary data spanning from 2015 to 2024. Three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study was anchored on the Fraud Triangle Theory, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was employed to examine the relationships. The findings revealed that fraud detection rate, regulatory compliance score, and audit quality index had no statistically significant impact on financial performance trends, although varying positive and negative relationships were observed. Based on these results, it is recommended that quoted oil and gas firms adopt more proactive, integrated, and technology-driven forensic accounting measures to strengthen fraud detection, enhance regulatory compliance, and improve financial performance.

Keywords: Appraisal Forensic Accounting Strategies, Financial Outcomes, Fraud Detection Rate, Regulatory Compliance Score, Audit Quality Index