A growing emphasis on regulatory compliance and financial discipline across West Africa has drawn attention to the S.T.A.R. Strategy, a structured finance framework developed by Temilola Onalaja and increasingly adopted by audit and finance professionals across sectors.

Initially piloted in healthcare and infrastructure, the strategy has expanded into logistics, consulting, and diagnostics, where it is being used to address issues in procurement processes, internal controls, and cash flow management.

Unlike traditional packaged software or consulting products, the S.T.A.R. Strategy is integrated directly into organisational operations. “It’s not packaged as a product,” said Faisal Olanipekun, a finance analyst with over 15 years of experience at Sahara Group.

“It’s being adopted as a working system by professionals in real time, and that makes it especially relevant in the current regulatory climate.”

The model is gaining visibility in leadership workshops and audit roundtables, where it has been cited as a reference for improving compliance standards and operational accountability.

The 2024 Transparency Report by PwC highlighted ongoing weaknesses in audit systems, noting that insufficient internal controls remain a major source of financial misstatements and regulatory sanctions, especially in emerging markets where oversight is tightening.

As organisations in West Africa face increasing scrutiny, S.T.A.R. Strategy is being positioned as a tool for managing decentralised financial systems and navigating complex regulatory environments.

In audit documentation, roundtable discussions, and finance leadership workshops, Onalaja’s model has emerged as a reference point for sustainable reform. At a year-end audit for a multinational supply chain firm, KOA Consult’s Madewa Akinyemi reported a 17% reduction in monthly cash discrepancies following the framework’s implementation.

“We’re seeing S.T.A.R. referenced by finance departments managing decentralised teams and fluctuating budgets,” Akinyemi said. “It provides something rare in our markets — a clear, adaptable template for enforcing financial discipline.”

The framework’s integration of analytics and real-time monitoring aligns with global calls for digital transformation in audit practices. Mrs Bolanle Ashiru, Head of Audit and Compliance at a Lagos-based wealth management firm, confirmed its appearance in internal audit manuals and departmental reporting protocols, particularly in industries where cost traceability has historically posed challenges.

At the Finance Leadership Forum and CFO Masterclass held in May 2025, the strategy drew further endorsements. “S.T.A.R. is being adopted by organisations struggling with persistent procurement lapses and rising overheads,” said Gbenga Tanimola, Financial Controller at FSHD Merchant Bank. “It offers structure without requiring a complete overhaul of existing systems.”

The KPMG Ghana Procurement Enhancement Survey (2023) revealed that over 90% of businesses reported exposure to procurement fraud, while nearly half admitted to lacking preventive vendor control mechanisms. Experts argue that frameworks like S.T.A.R. could be part of the solution to closing these gaps and restoring stakeholder confidence.