Board characteristics and profitability

Nigeria's economy was severely impacted by the Global Financial Crisis of the late 1990s; consequently, there has been a refocus on the role of the board of directors in modern businesses as a means to increase profitability and efficiency and decrease vulnerability. Despite the importance of Nigeria's new businesses in light of the information age, few studies have focused on the country's corporate board of directors. By examining the connection between certain characteristics of boards of directors and the profitability of Nigerian companies, this study hopes to fill a knowledge gap. Annual data from 2012-2021 is used to examine 75 Nigerian Exchange Group companies that are not in the financial sector. Using financial ratios like return on assets and return on equity, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between certain board of directors traits and the companies' profitability. Board independence, board gender diversity, and audit committee independence are the characteristics of boards that are measured. Independent directors and an independent audit committee did not have an effect on the profitability of Nigerian companies outside of the financial sector, while gender diversity on the board had a positive impact.