Corporate Leverage Management and Dividend Policy of Firms in the Consumer Goods Industries in Nigeria

The study was designed to examine the effect of corporate leverage management on dividend policy of firms in the consumer goods industries in Nigeria. This study adopted ex-post facto research design. It uses annual time series data extracted from the Annual Report and Accounts of consumer goods companies under study. The data covered from 2006 -2020. For the data analysis, the study uses descriptive statistics as well as statistical correlations and regression analysis where dividend policy as the dependent variable, long term debt to total asset, Debt to equity ratio and debt to capital ratio as independent variables. The result therefore, revealed there is positive but weak (r = 0.201919) relationship between long term debt to total asset and dividend policy for the year. Another one revealed that the Debt equity ratio on dividend policy in Nigeria has negative (-0.0556) but significant (p>0.015) contribution on dividend policy for the year well Debt capital ratio on dividend policy in Nigeria has negative (-7.987574) but significant (p>0.0103) contribution on dividend policy for the year. It implies that organisations that have a higher level of leverage are face more insecurity and may suffer bankruptcy and cannot pay dividend to investors as supposed. The study recommends that Consumer goods organization management should keep away from depending long term liability in financing its activities to avoid low asset turnover. Secondly, Management of consumer goods companies should consider sinking fund account necessary to provide for the repayment of their debt before the maturity period. Finally, Consumer goods organization management should ensure that leftover debt capital is immediately paid off.