The increasing demand for transparency and accountability in corporate reporting and the necessity to understand how gender-diverse board of directors and the quest for high-quality audits influence reporting outcomes. Against this backdrop, the study examines the moderating effect of board gender diversity on board characteristics and audit quality of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria, using a panel data of 12 listed deposit money banks over a ten-year period (2015–2024). Binary logistic regression with robust standard errors was used to analyse board characteristics and audit quality. Findings revealed that board independence had a negative and significant relationship with audit quality, board meeting frequency had a positive and insignificant relationship with audit quality. The study further found a negative and insignificant moderating effect of board gender diversity on board independence and audit quality, also a negative and significant moderating effect of board gender diversity on board meeting frequency and audit quality. The study concluded that board characteristics underscore the importance of combining diverse boards with high-quality auditors to enhance transparency and investor confidence. The study recommended among others that regulatory authorities strengthen board independence by ensuring independent and non-executive directors are members of audit committee and that deposit money banks should consider more female inclusivity and participation in board meetings as a practical strategy for strengthening governance and enhancing audit quality.