Mandatory Rotation of Auditors: The Nigerian Accountants Perception

The Purpose of this paper is to ascertain the perception of Accountants on the vexed issue of mandatory rotation of auditors in Nigeria. A hand administered questionnaire survey of 106 accounting professionals was undertaken. Descriptive statistics were used to find out the most common reasons why respondents were agreeable or disagreed with the idea of introduction of mandatory rotation of auditors in Nigeria. Multiple linear regression analysis and the ANOVA test statistics were used to test the two hypotheses of study. The questionnaire findings suggest that four factors ranked high in the respondents desire to see mandatory rotation of auditors enthroned in Nigeria. They are that it will enhance the independence of the auditor; give opportunity for periodic fresh look into an institution by another auditor; help the auditor maintain his professional skepticism and enhance the ethical behavior of auditors. The results also suggest that there is an association between mandatory rotation of audit firms and auditor independence. Finally the study found no significant differences in the perception of respondents about mandatory rotation of auditors. This study has practical implication for the Nigerian regulatory authorities especially the SEC who may want to know the reasons for the clamour for mandatory rotation of audit firms in Nigeria and possibly extend it to all listed companies in Nigeria. It also contributes to current global debate on mandatory rotation of auditors from the view point of an emerging economy.