Effect of Audit Independence on Public Sector Performance in Nigeria

Abstract

Audit independence has been acknowledged as an important mechanism in mitigating information asymmetry. This is because it ensures that the auditor presents objective views, which are reliable and truthful about the financial reports prepared by managers. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposeful sampling method was adopted and primary sources of data were used through a well-structured questionnaire distributed to 120 respondents in Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja in which 100 respondents submitted. The data collected were analyzed using spearman rank correlation method. The result revealed that there is a moderate statically significant relationship between internal audit independence and public sector performance in Nigeria. The study recommends that internal auditor’s independence should be encouraged to achieve better performance in the public sector of the economy.