A new book by former Accountant General of the Federation and the first woman to hold the office, Dr Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, has highlighted the importance of transparency, fiscal discipline and citizen participation in the management of public resources.

The book, ‘Beyond The Ledger: A Journey in Public Finance and Governance; Musings of Nigeria’s First Female Accountant General of the Federation’, was unveiled at a three-in-one event held over the weekend, which also featured the launch of the Olowo-Oloye Foundation for Empowerment and Education and the celebration of Madein’s 61st birthday.

Madein said the book sought to deepen public understanding of government finance and encourage citizens to take a greater interest in how public funds are generated, allocated and spent.

“The central message of this book is that public finance is actually beyond numbers. Everybody needs to know what government is all about and be able to understand what it is doing,” she said.

According to her, financial statements alone do not fully explain government activities, but citizens must understand processes such as budgeting and expenditure to properly hold leaders accountable.

“Barely looking at the financial statement may not really give you the idea, but when you know something like the budget, how the budget is executed, how funds are allocated, how funds are generated and how they are spent, it will give you an idea of what you as an individual should look forward to,” she said.

She stressed that citizen participation remains critical to good governance, urging Nigerians to show interest in public finance matters and engage their elected representatives.

“You should be able to engage the government. Citizen engagement is paramount to good governance,” she added.

Speaking on the foundation, Madein said it was established to complement government efforts by supporting education, empowering young people and assisting vulnerable members of society.

“The real motivation is to contribute to society and be part of societal development. Government alone cannot do everything,” she said.

She also encouraged young women to remain focused on their goals and pursue opportunities that would enable them to contribute to national development.

“You need to be focused and desire something for yourself. Think big,” she charged.

Former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, who reviewed the book, described it as an important contribution to discussions on public finance and governance.