This study appraised the problems of microfinance banks in Nigeria and evaluated the mitigating factors. Survey research design through the administration of structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The targeted population was 250 microfinance banks operators and micro, small and medium entrepreneurs. The respondents validly returned 223 copies of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics like table, mean, standard deviation and percentages were used for data analyses. The findings revealed that high operating and financial expenses (99.6%); low revenue base (99.6%); lack of effective corporate governance (99.6%); lack of standard and uniformity in financial transactions (99.6%); insiders’ abuse (99.6%); and ineffective monitoring of the allocated funds to ensure the utilisation as intended (99.6%) are highly critical among the twenty identified problem confronting microfinance banks in Nigeria. The results also showed that majority of the respondents believed that among the twenty identified mitigating factors to the problems of MFBs in Nigeria, timely preparation of financial statements (99.6%); adoption of cost efficiency mechanism (99.6%); investing more on information technology for enhancement of operations (99.6%); standardisation of the quality, experience and qualifications of management of microfinance (99.6%); and effective background check of staff and customers are the most important. The study, therefore, recommends the need for government to evaluate these findings and timely deploy the mitigating factors for the enhancement of the growth of microfinance banks in Nigeria.

The study investigated the application of Forensic Accounting Skills on Tax Evasion Detection in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were soured with the aid of structured questionnaire administered on respondents. The sample size was 301 comprising forensic accountants and Lagos State Internal Revenue officials. Multiple regression analysis results show a positive nexus between Forensic Accounting skills and tax evasion detection as the t-calculated of 4.579 is greater than the t-tabulated of 0.000 at 5% significance level. The forensic accounting skills proxied by Detection, Prevention,

This study examined the nexus between microfinance banks and the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. Research design method through a self-administered questionnaire to respondents was adopted for the study. The respondents comprise the microfinance banks’ management and staff and micro, small and medium business entrepreneurs, in Lagos State, the commercial hub of Nigeria. The targeted population of this study was 250 with 223 validly responded. The study tested two hypotheses using logit regression analysis. The hypothesis one shows that the null hypothesis is rejected with the acceptance of the alternate that the microfinance banks in Nigeria channelled their resources to the intended target (t-calculated of 8.181 is greater than t-tabulated of 0.000 at 5% level of significance). The findings further showed that a significant positive relationship exists between microfinance banks, proxied by Small Scale Financial Services (SSFS); Financial Sustainability (FST); Absence of Assets-based Collateral (AAC); and Advisory Services (ADS) and the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. This implies that any upward movement in the services of microfinance banks will enhance the growth of MSMEs. This is further affirmed with the t-calculated of 6.540 > t-tabulated of 0.000 at 5% level of significance. Thus, rejecting the null hypothesis two and accepting that there is significant positive link between microfinance banks and MSMEs in Nigeria. This study then recommended among others, the need for government to put in place, a strong and more effective team comprises of all stakeholders, to ensure that the microfinance banks do not derail from their primary responsibility of sustaining funding for the MSMEs.

The study investigated the specific forensic accounting techniques used in the detection of tax evasion in Nigeria. The study used a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire, prompting experts' opinion on the type or the combination of the tools of forensic accounting applied in carrying out tax evasion assignments. Krejcie & Morgan (1970) formula was adopted to determine the sample size of 301 from the population of 1,387, comprising forensic accounting practitioners and tax officials of Lagos State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation and percentages were applied for data analysis. The study reveals that all the identified 13 forensic accounting techniques were put into use but with diverse opinion. The study also finds out that Benford's Law, Identifying Anomalies' Document Review, Revenue Approach, Business Intelligence, Revenue Approach, Trend Analysis, Net Worth Comparative Method, Data Mining Tools, and Expenditure Approach, among others, were rated as being frequently used. The findings show that there is no agreement as to the specific tools to be adopted for tax evasion detection and no record of it included in the reports to government. The study however, established the use of different types of techniques among the practitioners. Thus, the study recommends that the practitioners should include in the report of their tax evasion engagement to the government, the forensic accounting techniques, or the combination thereof, used along with the respective results.

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