EFFECT OF OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT OF LISTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study examined effect of ownership structure on earnings management of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria, forthe period of eleven years from 2014 to 2024. The study made use of expo-factor research design and secondary data were used to source information from eleven (11) selected companies out of the forty-seven (47) listed manufacturing companies from the Nigeria exchange group as at 31^st December 2024.  POLS was used as an analytical technique to regress the data collected for the study together with descriptive and Spearman correlation. Major findings from the result of the study suggest thatManagerial ownership have an insignificant negative impact on earnings management it also revealed thatinstitutional ownership has no significant effect on earnings management. On the other hand, the results of the study revealed that ownership concentration has a negative impact on earnings management. Thus, following from the findings of this study the study recommends that, that it would be in the best interest of companies to increase its institutional equity holdings, associating the interests of the manager with the common benefit of the company reduces the separation of ownership and control of the manager lastly a decrease in concentrated shareholding.