CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS ON FRAUD PREVENTION IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: THE PERCEPTION OF PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT
The objective of the study is to investigate the knowledge, skills, and ethics from the perception of Professional Accountant on fraud prevention in the Nigerian Public Sector. The primary data was collected from a Professional Accountant in the Office of Accountant General and Auditor General for the Federation in Nigeria through a self-administered questionnaire. Five hundred questionnaires were distributed, out of which 312 were retrieved from respondents. This study employed the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) as statistical analysis tools. Three hypotheses developed in the study were tested through the correlation and regression analysis regarding their relationships. The results obtained from the analysis provided support for the hypothesized relationships. Furthermore, it is apparent that the significant positive influence of skills and ethics of a professional accountant indicated that the variables are essential requirements in enhancing fraud prevention in the Nigerian public sector. The study concluded that auditors in the public sector environment should develop more interest in enhancing their capabilities in fraud prevention.
