The accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Shamsudeen Ogunjimi, has called for the deployment of technology to proactively monitor financial management in real-time to ensure transparency and institutional discipline.

Mr Ogunjimi made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the ongoing 2025 National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance, organised by the Senate and House of Representatives Public Accounts Committees.

The theme of the conference is “Fiscal Governance in Nigeria: Charting a New Course for Transparency and Sustainable Development.”

He said that there was a need for a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s public financial management system from delayed, post-mortem audits to proactive, real-time transparency backed by technology in line with global best practices.

Mr Ogunjimi said that there was an urgent need to entrench accountability, fiscal prudence and efficiency in the management of public resources, especially considering Nigeria’s economic challenges.

He said, “Every naira that is mismanaged or wasted is money that could have gone into schools, hospitals, infrastructure or security. Fiscal governance is not just an administrative responsibility; it is a national imperative. We must build a culture where accountability is not optional, where public officials are held to the highest standards and where decisions about public resources are made with the well-being of future generations in mind.’’

Mr Ogunjimi commended the organisers of the conference, describing it as a crucial platform for charting Nigeria’s path towards transparency, accountability and responsible governance.

He assured that the office of the accountant-general remained committed to accountability, prudent use of public resources and the timely reporting of the government’s finances in line with international standards and global best practices.

In his remarks, Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, stressed the need for the outcome of the conference to be translated into concrete and actionable reforms.

He called for the institutionalisation of transparency and accountability as national values across all sectors.

“This conference is coming at a time when many nations, including ours, are grappling with complex economic challenges such as rising public debt, food insecurity, inflation and increasing public demand for transparency and fiscal responsibility. These objectives are not merely aspirations; they are strategic and imperative. We must translate them into concrete and actionable strategies if we are to witness real transformation in our fiscal governance landscape,” he stated.

Mr Chira called for strengthened audit performance, collaborative oversight and citizens’ confidence in public institutions.

He urged all stakeholders, including policymakers, legislators, auditors, civil society actors, academia and development partners, to fully support the resolutions of the conference and commit to their implementations.

(NAN)