Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Attributes and Market Value of Listed Industrial Goods Firms in Nigeria

Despite the global recognition of CEO attributes such as educational qualification, gender, ownership, tenure and origin in shaping firm outcomes, empirical evidence from Nigeria remains inconclusive. This study addressed this gap by investigating the effect of CEO attributes on the market value of listed industrial good firms in Nigeria. The study employed an ex-post facto research design, using secondary data sourced from the Nigerian Exchange Group between 2015-2024. The population was 12 industrial good firms out of which 11 were purposively selected as the sample size of this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and panel regression techniques. The findings revealed that CEO educational qualification exhibits a significant positive effect, highlighting the role of expertise and knowledge in effective leadership. CEO gender has nonsignificant effect, suggesting that gender at the CEO level has not yet translated into improved performance. CEO origin has a nonsignificant on market capitalization of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. The study concluded that CEO attributes are significant determinants of firm market values. It recommended amongst others that boards prioritize competence and qualifications in CEO appointments, encourage CEO gender diversity and also promote enabling environments for internal CEO appointments, to strengthen governance and investors’ confidence.