Authors
Innocent Chukwuebuka Nnubia
Department of Accountancy,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
ic.nnubia@unizik.edu.ng
Awogwo Ogechukwu Bridget
Department of Accountancy,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Cheche Kalu Cheche
Department of Accountancy,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Abstract
This study examines the impact of lean accounting practices on
the operational efficiency of selected manufacturing firms in
Nigeria, addressing a critical empirical gap in the application of
Value Stream Costing (VSC), Just-in-Time (JIT), and Logistics
Maintenance within sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy.
Adopting an Ex-Post Facto longitudinal research design, the
study employs balanced panel data from five purposively
selected Nigerian manufacturing firms over the period 2019 to
2024 (N = 30 observations), analyzed using the Random Effects
Model (REM) as confirmed by the Hausman Specification Test
(Chi-square = 5.2356, p = 0.1553). The findings reveal that VSC
exerts a statistically significant but negative short-term effect on operational efficiency (β = -0.8929, p = 0.0102), consistent with
the structural transition costs of lean adoption. JIT emerges as
the most potent driver of operational efficiency (β = 3.2022, p =
0.0004), with an impact magnitude that exceeds comparable
developed-economy estimates, reflecting the amplified value of
inventory waste elimination in Nigeria’s high-cost capital
environment. Logistics Maintenance does not significantly
influence operational efficiency (β = −0.024, p = 0.5300),
attributed to the prevalence of reactive maintenance cultures and
infrastructural deficits within the sector. The overall model is
statistically significant (Prob. F-statistic = 0.0003) and accounts
for approximately 50.5% of the variation in operational
efficiency (weighted R-squared = 0.5050). The study concludes
that lean accounting constitutes a sequenced transformation
strategy in which JIT delivers the highest immediate return, VSC
demands transitional patience, and Logistics Maintenance
requires a structural shift toward predictive paradigms before
contributing meaningfully to efficiency.
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