Audit Expectation Gap and the Credibility of Public Sector Audit: The Nigerian Case

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of audit expectation gap on the credibility of Nigerian public sector audit. The survey research design was adopted to elicit responses from respondents on audit expectation gap in Nigeria. The source of data was primary. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The gathered data were scrutinized and analyzed by employing a ChiSquare quantitative analysis technique using SPSS. The results revealed that there was a significance impact of audit expectation gap on the credibility of audit report and that audit expectation gap can be eliminated or minimized through sensitization. It also found auditing education to be highly correlated to reducing the expectation gap. The study concluded that there was the existence of audit expectation gap in the Nigerian Public Sector. It therefore recommended that there was the need for continued sensitization of the public, by both the auditing profession and other stake holders on the role and duties of the auditor to avoid unreasonable expectation by the public.