The Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira has said that any society that lacks accountability cannot achieve inclusive economic growth.
Chira who was spoke, yesterday in Abuja at the 2025 Nigeria Accountability Summit, noted that an economic growth that is not inclusive cannot be sustained.
The summit with the theme: “Strengthening Accountability for Inclusive Economic Growth,’ was organised by Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), in collaboration with other civil society organizations including, BudgIT, Accountabilitylab, among others.
The Auditor General, who stressed the importance of accountability, also noted that a job creation plan that is not anchored on prudence will not deliver long-term transformation.
Chira noted that the accountability summit has become a truly national platform for reinvigorating the culture of accountability, transparency and responsible governance at both the national and subnational levels.
He said out of the 17 actionable recommendations in the 2024 summit, agreed in line with the Federal Government’s eight point agenda, several have already been translated into measurable outcomes.
“A most considerable achievement is the completion of the Federal Audit Circle, a singular milestone that reflects the deepening of institutional accountability and demonstrates what is possible when politics aligns with administrative efficiency and professional independence,” he said.
He said that the completion of the Federal Audit Circle is not just a procedural achievement but a generational breakthrough that signals renewed national commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency and public sector that aim at world best practices.
According to him, the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAUGF) plays a pivotal role in safeguarding public funds, improving governance system and ensuring that public expenditure delivers measurable value to citizens.
He said the OAUGF continues to deploy modern methodologies including performance audit and real time auditing of capital projects to ensure that public investment translates into tangible outcomes such as infrastructural delivery, increased productivity and employment opportunities.
The office, according to him, is also integrating digital tools and e-governance system to reduce human discretion, to block leakages, and enable traceability along public financial transactions.
Also speaking, the Group Chief Economist and Managing Director, Research and Trade Intelligence, Afreximbank, Dr Yemi Kale, advised that accountability should be embedded in every major reform of government.
He said as the government pursues its eight points agenda for economic growth and anti-corruption, it must build accountability into every segment.
“For every reform initiative whether it is subsidy removal, or power sector liberalisation or expansion of social security programme, we need to set up an independent monitoring framework from the start,” he said.
He also recommended that citizens should be treated as accountability partners. “Inclusive growth won’t happen without inclusive governance,” he said, adding that government should create more avenues for citizens feedback and engagements.
On his part, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello, commended the organisers for sustaining a platform that brings together key voices in the country’s governance and development journey.
Bello who was represented by a Board member and Federal Commissioner on the Code of Conduct Bureau, said the theme for this year’s summit is both timely and inspiring “because it reminds us that true growth goes beyond numbers it must be built on fairness, transparency and integrity,” he said.
