Abstract

This paper analyzed the effects of board size and board composition on the performance of Nigerian banks. The financial statements of five banks were used as a sample for the period of nine years and the data collected were analysed using the multivariate regression analysis. The paper found that board size has significant negative impact on the performance of banks in Nigeria. This signifies that an increase in Board size would lead to a decrease in ROE and ROA. On the other hand, board composition has a significant positive effect on the performance of banks in Nigeria. This signifies that an increase in Board composition would lead to a decrease in ROE and ROA. It is recommended that banks should have adequate board size to the scale and complexity of the organisation’s operations and be composed in such a way as to ensure diversity of experience without compromising independence, compatibility, integrity and availability of members to attend meetings. The board size should not be too large and must be made up of qualified professionals who are conversant with oversight function. The Board should comprise of a mix of executive and non-executive directors, headed by a Chairman.

Key words: Board size, board composition, Nigerian banks and financial performance.