Nigeria’s Auditor-General, Shaakaa Chira. Photo: Daily Trust The Auditor-General for the Federation, Dr Shaakaa Chira, has raised concerns over persistent weaknesses in accountability and financial management across government institutions, citing weak internal controls, capacity gaps and delays in responding to audit observations by some Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Chira disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, where he outlined the challenges facing public sector auditing and efforts by his office to strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. According to him, weak accountability structures remain one of the biggest obstacles to ensuring compliance with financial regulations across government institutions.
“One of the major challenges is the persistence of weak internal control systems in some public institutions. In certain cases, there are also capacity gaps, delays in responding to audit observations and inadequate appreciation of the importance of compliance with established regulations,” he said.
The Auditor-General noted that the vast scale of government operations compared to available oversight resources has further complicated efforts to enforce accountability and compliance across MDAs. “Another challenge is the scale of government operations relative to available resources for oversight.
He explained that since assuming office, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation has focused on strengthening its institutional capacity to effectively carry out its constitutional mandate. “Since assuming office, we have focused on strengthening the capacity of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation to effectively discharge its constitutional mandate.
Related News Lekki Port Phase 2 begins soon – Sanwo-Olu Women leaders seek stronger cross-sector collaboration FG unveils digital platform to boost tax compliance The Auditor-General added that the office was implementing its Strategic Plan 2024–2028 to improve audit quality, institutional effectiveness and accountability in public resource management.
“We have also pursued the implementation of our Strategic Plan (2024–2028), which is aimed at improving audit quality, enhancing institutional effectiveness and promoting greater accountability in the management of public resources. Through our audit reports and recommendations, we continue to identify weaknesses in financial management systems and encourage corrective actions across government institutions,” he said.
On the role of technology in modern auditing, Chira said his office had embraced digital tools and data analytics to improve efficiency and strengthen fraud detection capabilities. “The auditing profession is evolving rapidly, and our office has embraced the need for technological transformation.
We have continued to strengthen the use of digital audit tools, data analytics and modern audit methodologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our work,” he said. According to him, technology enables auditors to analyse large volumes of data, identify unusual patterns and detect potential risks faster than traditional audit methods.
“Technology enables auditors to analyse larger volumes of data, identify unusual patterns and detect potential risks more quickly than traditional methods. It also improves the quality of evidence gathering and enhances the overall reliability of audit outcomes,” he added.