EKPULU, Godspower Anthony
Department of Accounting
Faculty of Management Sciences
Niger Delta University Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
godspower.ekpulu@ndu.edu.ng
IZUORA, Uchechukwu Grace
Corelab Nigeria Limited
Port Harcourt, Rivers State
ABSTRACT
This paper examined skill-sets required of management accountants in today’s disruptive environment
where digitalization is the hallmark of organizational operations. Extant literature showed that
digitalization has led to expansion of management accounting practice, with fluid boundaries for data
analytic specialists without accounting background. With continuous improvements and expansion in
digital technology, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence, reliance on Big Data and
Analytical tools, and e-based operations, management accountants are required to take up additional
skill-set to remain relevant. The implication of digitalization for management accountants entails that
financial analysts’ ability to process internal and external data and segregate essential and reliable data
from mere noise efficiently, constitute key new skills. This requires a shift in management
accountant’s role towards that of data scientist, with strong systematic and mathematical-statistical
competencies. Also, ability to collaborate and navigate across functional lines has become critical in
shoring up continuous relevance. Therefore, skill-set upgrade and versatility are the way to go for
management accountants to hedge against obsolescence.
Keywords: Big data, management accountant, skill-set, digitalization