Abstract

The study examined the moderating effect of information and communication technology on internal audit practices and public expenditure management of government organizations in Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of 350 staff in the five surveyed government organizations in Nigeria. The study used a questionnaire to elicit information from the respondents. The study applied descriptive and inferential statistical tools to analyze the data and test the hypotheses with the help of SPSS 22.0. The study found that the effect-based information and communication technology, positively relate to the degree of knowledge sharing and learning intensity of the audit team in relation to risk assessment, assets safeguard and auditor independence. Information and communication technology positively influence internal audit practice towards public expenditure management and has prudential effect on aggregate fiscal discipline, allocative efficiency and operational efficiency of public sector organisations.  The study revealed that information and communication technology are used in internal auditing and this affects public expenditure management. It is suggested that information and communication technology be used increasingly so that the quality of internal auditing can be improved and accordingly, systematic planning and performing internal auditing operations in order to achieve efficient public expenditure management in public organisations. Furthermore, applying information and communication technology by internal auditing units of companies helps to engender efficiency. The results of the study have given a clear indication that information and communication technology have significant effect on internal audit practices and public expenditure management of government organizations. Conclusively, it is evident that as: Government organisations engage in risk assessment they achieve their public expenditure management positively and significantly. This simply means that risk assessment as an instrument of internal audit practices influences public expenditure management to elicit good public expenditure management of government organisations. The study recommended that: The public sector administrators should use risk assessment to their advantage by encouraging government organisations’ staff with proficiency in information and communication technology application. Government organizations’ staff should update their knowledge with respect to risk assessment and allocative efficiency through the opportunities provided by information and communication technology solutions so as to be able to benefit from the strategic values of effective and efficient public expenditure management

Keywords

Information and Communication, Technology Internal Audit Practices, Public Expenditure Management, Risk Assessment, Asset Safeguard, Auditor Independence, Government Organizations