Does corporate governance matter in the cleanup of reported oil spills? Evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine whether corporate governance mechanisms – board size, board independence and CEO duality – influence the actions of oil companies operating in Nigeria to clean up oil spills from their facilities. Design/methodology/approach Both binary logistic regression (linear) and random-effects logistic regression models were used to test three hypotheses using a unique data set of 1,262 oil spill events involving 24 oil companies from 2017 to 2019. Findings The study found that board size and board independence are positively related to oil spill cleanup. Practical implications Private oil companies in Nigeria should encourage larger and more independent boards in their corporate governance (CG) structures, as these boards may be more effective in serving the interests of stakeholders by bringing diverse knowledge and experience to the boards. Similarly, regulators should extend the enforcement of CG codes to private firms. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the influence of CG attributes on oil spill cleanup.