CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND PERFORMANCE OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS IN NIGERIA: A PANEL REGRESSION ANALYSIS MODEL

The study examines the effect of corporate governance on the performance Real. Estate investment Trusts (REITS)1 in Nigeria! The three REITs (Skye Shelter, UAC p| properties, -Union Homes); on the Nigerian Stock Exchange were studied. Data were ■ collected from their annual reports from 2008 to 2015 and it was analyzed using panel • regression. The dependent variables used are board size, board independence, audit committee, board diversity, and gender diversity while the independent variable is || 7 the return on Asset- The results of the regression show that board size and audit committee have positive and significant effects on REITs performance while board independence, board composition and gender diversities have negative and. significant effects on REITs performance. It was recommended that corporate mechanisms (board independence, board and gender diversities) must be improved || to have the needed effect on performance of REITs in Nigeria.