Accounting Information Systems on Financial Reporting Efficiency and Decision Making of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

This study examined the effect of Accounting Information Systems (AIS) on financial reporting efficiency and strategic decision-making among Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria between 2015 and 2024. Specifically, it assessed the impact of AIS adoption measured by the AIS Investment Ration financial reporting timeliness and decision-making speed. The study adopted an ex post facto research design using secondary data sourced from the audited annual reports of 12 purposively selected DMBs over a 10-year period, yielding 120 bank-year observations. Panel data regression analysis was employed, alongside descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and diagnostic tests such as the Hausman specification and heteroskedasticity tests. The results from the fixed effects model showed that AIS investment had a statistically significant negative effect on financial reporting timeliness (coefficient = – 113.421; p = 0.000) and on decision-making speed (coefficient = –28.612; p = 0.000). The Hausman test confirmed the preference for fixed effects in both models (FRT model: χ² = 18.27, p = 0.001; DMS model: χ² = 13.41, p = 0.007). Additionally, the Breusch-Pagan test revealed the presence of heteroskedasticity in both models (FRT model: χ² = 7.318, p = 0.0068; DMS model: χ² = 9.504, p = 0.0020), and robust standard errors were employed to ensure valid inference. The study concluded that AIS is a critical driver of operational efficiency in the banking sector and recommended that banks should continuously invest in AIS infrastructure and staff training to optimize its benefits. It further called on regulators to promote AIS integration as part of performance and compliance frameworks for financial institutions in Nigeria.