3 months ago
18 ARTICLE AD
CEO, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Rabiu Olowo
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission is launching a financial accountability sensitisation campaign across three geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
This campaign aims to strengthen financial accountability at the subnational level, targeting states in the South-South, South-East, and North-Central regions.
The Head of the Strategic Communications Directorate at the FRC, Bede Anyanwu, announced in a statement on Friday that the sensitisation series would commence with a two-day retreat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from Monday, 2nd September to Wednesday, 4th September 2024.
Similar retreats are scheduled to follow in Owerri, Imo State, and Minna, Niger State, later in the month.
“The theme of these retreats is ‘Strengthening Financial Accountability at Subnational Levels,’” Anyanwu noted.
He highlighted that the initiative is designed to foster a culture of financial transparency and responsibility among state governments, particularly in finance, economic planning, and budgeting.
The retreats will feature a lineup of experts, including senior judicial officers, economists, chartered accountants, and fiscal analysts.
“Participants will include state commissioners and senior civil servants from the ministries of finance, economic planning, and budget. We also expect accountant-generals, auditor-generals, and heads of fiscal commissions in the states to be actively involved,” Anyanwu stated.
Dignitaries expected at the retreats include the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Mohammed Musa, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, James Faleke. The governors of the host states are also expected to deliver keynote addresses at each event.
In Port Harcourt, the retreat will begin with a welcome address by the Executive Chairman of the FRC, Victor Muruako.
Justice Kemakolam Ojiako will then present a paper titled “Strengthening Oversight: The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Promoting Fiscal Responsibility at the Subnational Level,” followed by fiscal economist Chris Uwadoka, who will discuss “Unbundling the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Role of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.”
A chartered accountant, Victoria Adiwu-Angakuru, will conclude the presentations with a paper on “Deepening Budget Transparency: Moving Beyond Compliance to Meaningful Citizen Engagement.”
These discussions will be followed by a panel discussion and audience participation, leading to the adoption of a communiqué at the end of each retreat.
“The FRC is committed to promoting fiscal responsibility and transparency across all levels of government, and these retreats are a critical part of that mission,” Anyanwu stressed.
Attendees from all six states in the South-South zone are expected to participate in the Port Harcourt retreat and will receive certificates of participation upon completion.
Following the South-South retreat, the campaign will move to the South-East and North-Central geopolitical zones later in September.
