Key Features:

No of Chapters: 5
No of Pages: 90
Methodology: Multiple Regression Analysis

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Introduction:

Disclosure of environmental performance in an annual report is to reflect the level of accountability, responsibility, and corporate transparency to investors and other stakeholders (Deegan &Brown, 2008). Environmental aspects of the disclosure are contained in the company’s annual report and aim to disclose information relating to the environment, In this way company can benefit from the positive attention, trust and support of the community, Based on this opinion environmental disclosure can help companies in getting support and capital issues from stakeholders and investors, In addition it can be to access the impact of risk that may be incurred by the company’s operations and reduce the effect of its activities on the environment, so that the company’s image and external legitimacy can be improved.(Deegan & Brown, 2008).

Studies conducted to date on corporate governance and environmental disclosures have shown that corporate governance mechanism have influence on corporate environmental disclosure, However in Nigeria corporate environmental disclosure is still on voluntary basis (Onyali, Okafor & Egolum, 2014). Therefore it is inconclusive if such characteristics and voluntary initiation alone would also influence corporate environmental disclosure in Nigeria’s firms (Onyali et al., 2014).

Corporate Environmental disclosure (CED) entails the financial and non–financial disclosure of social and environmental aspects upon which firms activities have an impact on its environment. There is a dearth of literature on Corporate Environmental Disclosure in Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
There is a large difference in the volume of corporate governance and environmental disclosure research in countries with developed capital markets when compared to countries with less developed capital markets. In countries with developed capital market and effective legal/regulatory frameworks, a significant amount of research on corporate governance and environmental disclosure has been executed (Marston & Shrives, 2016). Unfortunately, this is not the case with countries with less developed markets. In less developed countries, there is a scarcity of research on corporate governance and environmental disclosure; in all sincerity, this should not be so (Okpara, Bhasin & Oluwagbemiga, 2014). In comparison with corporate governance and environmental disclosure in developed countries; in developing countries, there are generally lower disclosure standards, weaker regulatory and legal systems as well as limited enforcement capacity (Okike, 2007). There is significant state ownership or holding of many private business corporations in developing countries.(Samaha, Dahawy, Hussainey &Stapleton, 2012).

The intention of this research is to examine if corporate governance mechanisms such as board size, board independence, gender diversity and frequency of board meetings influences the level of corporate environmental disclosure specifically in the firms in Nigeria. The increasing environmental issues of which companies tend to have a profound impact on the environment calls for examination of the quality of environmental disclosure voluntarily provided in the annual reports to creating awareness among the stakeholder. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between corporate governance and corporate environmental disclosure.
Flowing from the above, this study is set to proffer solution to the following research questions.
1. Is there a significant relationship between board size and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firm?
2. Is there a significant relationship between board independence and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firm?
3. Is there a significant relationship between gender diversity and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firm?
4. Is there a significant relationship between frequency of board meetings and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firm?

1.3 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this study is to ascertain the impact of corporate governance on corporate environmental disclosure in Nigeria. The specific objectives of this study are:
1. To determine if there is a significant relationship between board size and environmental disclosure.
2. To ascertain if there is a significant relationship between board independence and environmental disclosure.
3. To examine if there is a significant relationship between board gender diversity and environmental disclosure.
4. To establish if there is a significant relationship between frequency of board meetings and environmental disclosures

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
In line with the objectives of this study, the following hypotheses will be formulated in null form:
1. There is no significant relationship between board size and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firms.
2. There is no significant relationship between board independence and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firms.
3. There is no significant relationship between board gender diversity and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firms.
4. There is no significant relationship between frequency of board meetings and environmental disclosure in Nigerian firms.