ABF NEWS | Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged accounting professionals in Nigeria to play a more active role in strengthening accountability, transparency and effective public financial management, stressing that public funds must always be treated as resources entrusted to government by citizens.
The President who was represented by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi made the call in his address at the 31st Annual National Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), where he emphasized the critical role of accountants in supporting Nigeria's ongoing economic and institutional reforms.
According to the President, accountants in the public sector must insist on proper documentation, authorization, accurate reporting and prudent stewardship, noting that public money belongs to the people and reflects the sacrifices, expectations and confidence of citizens.
He urged accounting professionals to view accountability not merely as an administrative responsibility but as a constitutional and moral obligation.
Tinubu challenged ANAN to focus on five key areas, including strengthening professional capacity in public financial management, digital finance, data analysis, fiscal risk management and economic policy.
He also called on accountants to support government reforms through practical professional expertise in financial reporting, internal controls, performance management and institutional accountability. Other priorities highlighted were the promotion of ethical leadership, investment in research addressing Nigeria's fiscal and economic challenges, and mentorship of the next generation of accountants.
"The future of Nigeria's public finances will depend not only on the laws we enact or the systems we deploy, but on the competence and character of the people who operate those systems," the President stated.
He further noted that Nigeria's ongoing reforms are designed to build a stronger economy, a more efficient state, a fairer fiscal system and a more prosperous society. However, he stressed that the success of these reforms would depend on institutions having the capacity to implement them and professionals having the integrity to sustain them.
According to him, accountants occupy a central position in this process because they provide the evidence upon which sound public policy should be based.
He outlined the accountability chain as follows: evidence must inform policy, policy must inform expenditure, expenditure must produce results, and results must improve the lives of Nigerians.
The President therefore urged the profession to move beyond merely reporting government activities and become an active partner in determining what government should be doing.
He called for institutions where transparency is maintained, accountability is measurable, technology is purposeful and integrity is non-negotiable, while urging accountants to see every naira entrusted to government as an instrument of national development.
Tinubu also commended ANAN for organizing the conference and its continued contribution to national development. He noted Nigeria's leadership role in promoting sound public financial management across Africa and referenced the election of Nigeria's Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi , as Chairman of the Government Council of the African Association of Accountants General.
He urged participants to engage deeply with the issues discussed at the conference, challenge conventional thinking and translate the knowledge generated into practical action.
The President subsequently declared the 31st Annual National Conference of ANAN officially open.