DETERMINANTS OF DIVIDEND POLICY OF LISTED OIL AND GAS FIRMS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The largest companies worldwide face the challenge of differentiating the amount to pay as a dividend and the amount to retain for internal use. This study, therefore, aims to examine the main determinants of dividend policies of oil and gas firms in Nigeria. The primary study objective was to study how determinants like earnings, liquidity, state of the economy, and total assets of the companies significantly impact the dividend payout ratio of listed oil and gas companies in Nigeria. Ten listed oil and gas companies were selected, and secondary data were gathered from their financial statements from 2010 to 2020. The fixed effect and the random effect regression analysis estimated the data, while other post-estimation techniques, such as the Hausman test, were used to select between the fixed and random effect panel regression that was the best fit for the study. The Hausman test selected the fixed effect regression. Therefore, findings from the fixed effect regression showed that earnings and the state of the economy were positively significant in impacting the dividend payout ratio. Total assets were negatively significant, while liquidity was insignificant, affecting the dividend payout ratio. The study recommended, among others, that Nigerian oil and gas firms should build and manage their total assets effectively and efficiently, as this would determine and influence their dividend policy decisions.