Influence of Culture on Nigerian SMEs Compliance Attitude to IFRS for SMEs

Abstract

The need to stem up quality accounting practices among SMEs in Nigeria has prompted the adoption of IFRS for SMEs on January 1, 2014. However, the observed level of compliance to the stand alone international accounting standard has led this study to give due considerations to how the SMEs operational way of life (culture) influences their attitude to expected adherence to the provisions of the new accounting framework. Adopting a review approach, the secondary sources of data as complemented by models were used in portraying the relativism of culture and cultural dimension to Nigeria SMEs attitude to bookkeeping and their poor compliance to the guidelines of IFRS for SMEs in the maintenance of her financial records. Although the research is of the opinion that assisting and motivating Nigeria SMEs to imbibe the culture of maintaining sound financial records remain government’s priority at the moment, it proposes that a single regulatory agency be set up by law to solely oversee all activities of SMEs in Nigeria. This implies that the commitment of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service/State Tax Authorities, and Corporate Affair Commission to the survival, growth and expansion of SMEs in Nigeria could be reduced to each of these government agencies having a representative executive member in the single regulatory agency. This way, areas of under performance prompted by multiplicity of regulatory agencies, will receive meaningful attention and reliable consensus response from the government.

Keywords: Compliance, Culture, Cultural Dimensions, IFRS for SMEs, Regulatory Agencies, SMEs.