The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting System in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is going to adopt International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) from 1^st January 2012. Globalization and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has reduced the world to a global village. This has given rise to the continuous integration of the world economy and capital markets which has in turn given rise to increase in the interdependence of international financial markets. As a result of this, there is increased mobility of capital across boundaries of the globe. Therefore, in order to ensure and sustain investors confidence in the capital market, the issue of corporate governance has now been brought to the front burner because that is the only way corporate financial reporting can be seen to be transparent. However, to operate in the global financial markets there is the urgent need for a uniform global financial reporting, hence most countries have embraced IFRS either by adoption, adaptation or convergence. It is therefore, the intention of this paper to critically examine the adoption of IFRS, its challenges and to proffer solutions that would ensure seamless transition in Nigeria.

Keywords: Investors, international standards, globalization and financial statements.