Effect of Social and Environmental Disclosure on the Performance of Listed Consumer Goods Producing Companies in Nigeria

Abstract

Information is power; its presentation, processes and utilization can make or mare circumstances. One of the strategies of bridging information asymmetry is to disclose relevant information required by stakeholders in taking crucial decision. The impact of social and environmental disclosure on the performance of Nigeria consumer goods’ producing companies was examined in this paper, using multiple regression analysis while the sample constitute 16 out of 20 companies listed as consumer goods sector. The study found that social and environmental disclosure had significant effect on return on assets while firm size and age had no significant control in the effect of social and environmental disclosure on ROA. Also, social and environmental disclosure had insignificant effect on earnings per share (EPS) but firm size and age had significant control in the effect of social and environmental disclosure on EPS. The study concluded that social and environmental disclosure has significant impact on the performance of manufacturing companies in Nigeria. It was opined that managers should ensure that information about their social practices is well communicated in an understandable manner to the stakeholders, and thus the stakeholders would be able to comprehend, value and process it in taking meaningful decision about the firm, and that disclosure should be country-specific; every country should design the benchmark, rules and guidelines befitting their environment for such to be impactful.