ABF News | Abuja
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, has called on the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to strengthen its regulatory framework and professional training programmes to address the growing impact of emerging technologies on the accountancy profession.
Dankwambo, a former Accountant-General of the Federation and former Governor of Gombe State, made the call while speaking at the ANAN Annual Conference, where he highlighted the opportunities and risks presented by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain.
He observed that accountants have traditionally been cautious about technological developments because of concerns surrounding systems that operate largely beyond direct human visibility and control.
According to him, the rapid deployment of emerging technologies makes it necessary for the accountancy profession to establish clear regulatory standards to guide their development and application.
“For me, for the professional body going forward, it's mainly number one to insist on regulations, guiding the development and operations of this technology,” Dankwambo stated.
He urged ANAN to establish a dedicated committee responsible for developing standards for the deployment of technology within the accountancy profession.
“We should set up a small committee of the professional body to develop standards for deploying technology into accountancy professions,” he said.
The former Accountant-General also called for technology to be incorporated into the training curriculum for aspiring accountants, stressing that existing professionals should equally receive continuous training in emerging technologies.
He recommended that mandatory continuing professional development programmes should consistently incorporate technology-related training to equip accountants with the knowledge required to operate effectively in an increasingly digital environment.
“Technology in our syllabus going forward” should be included for future accountants, while mandatory continuous training for qualified accountants should continue to incorporate technology, he advised.
Dankwambo further drew attention to the risks that could arise from the increasing integration of government information systems. He referenced the proposed centralised government system, where information from areas such as procurement, accounting, budgeting and other government institutions could be connected through a central platform.
While such integration could simplify government operations, he warned that the concentration of critical information on a central system could expose the accounting profession and public financial management to significant risks.
He therefore urged accountants to anticipate these risks and develop appropriate safeguards as technological transformation continues.
“As we are preparing for it, we should prepare for the risks going forward,” Dankwambo stressed.
His presentation reinforced the need for the accountancy profession to embrace technological innovation while ensuring that appropriate regulation, professional education, risk management and safeguards are established to protect financial information and strengthen public confidence in digital accounting systems.
The remarks are particularly significant coming from Dankwambo, whose professional and public-sector experience includes serving as Accountant-General of the Federation and Governor of Gombe State, alongside his current role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.