By Kayode Olopade
The Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Abayomi Oluyomi, has charged accountants and auditors in the state public service to move beyond routine compliance and embrace greater collaboration, efficiency, accountability and value for money in the management of public resources.
Oluyomi gave the charge on Friday while declaring open a two-day retreat for Directors and Heads of Finance and Accounts across the Lagos State Government, organised by the State Treasury Office at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The commissioner said compliance remained the foundation of sound public financial management, but stressed that it must ultimately translate into measurable performance and improved service delivery.
“Compliance is the floor. Performance is the standard,” Oluyomi said, urging finance professionals to ensure that accurate financial records, timely reconciliations, proper approvals and strict adherence to financial regulations remained central to their duties.
He noted that the Public Finance Management Law, Fiscal Responsibility Law, accounting standards and Treasury circulars were designed not only to safeguard public funds but also to protect government officials entrusted with managing them.
According to him, timeliness, insight and value for money should define the performance of finance officers across the state's Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Oluyomi urged Heads of Finance and Accounts to ensure that monthly reconciliations, quarterly reports and year-end financial statements were produced promptly to enable government take timely and informed decisions.
He also challenged them to move beyond processing transactions and become strategic financial advisers to their respective MDAs by providing management with useful insights into expenditure patterns, emerging risks and resource utilisation.
On value for money, the commissioner said every naira saved through sound cash management, improved procurement processes and effective revenue tracking could be redirected to critical development priorities.
He called for stronger collaboration among the State Treasury Office, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and revenue-generating agencies, saying stakeholders must operate with a common understanding of the state's financial position.
Speaking on the growing application of Artificial Intelligence in public financial management, Oluyomi said AI could assist finance professionals in analysing large volumes of transactions, detecting unusual payments, summarising complex documents and preparing reconciliation narratives.
He, however, warned officers against relying blindly on AI-generated outputs, stressing that professional responsibility remained with the officer who certifies a financial record.
“Use AI to work faster and see further, never to sign off on what you have not checked,” he advised.
He also cautioned officers against uploading government financial data to AI platforms or other digital tools that had not been approved for official use.
The commissioner urged participants to make the most of the retreat by engaging facilitators, sharing practical experiences and identifying changes that could improve financial operations across their respective units.
He said the success of the state government's development agenda depended significantly on proper financial management, including reconciled accounts, timely reporting and accurate accountability for public resources.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Treasury Office and State Accountant-General, Dr Adetola John, urged finance officers to see themselves as strategic contributors to the effectiveness of their MDAs rather than merely personnel responsible for processing financial transactions.
John said stronger teamwork was required to prevent any unit from becoming a weak link in the state's financial management system.
“What we need for us to get to the top is collaboration and teamwork. You should avoid being the weak link and ensure we move our respective offices forward so we can be a better team,” he said.
He added that the changing demands of public financial management required a shift from routine compliance to measurable institutional performance.
“It’s not just for us to work in cycles but as a team. So much is expected of us because we all need ourselves. This time, we are moving from compliance to performance,” John said.
The emphasis on institutional collaboration was echoed by the Auditor-General for Local Government, Mr Obafemi Ogunlana; Permanent Secretary, Office of Internal Audit, Mrs Monsurat Titilope Alaka; Acting State Auditor-General, Dr Olufunke Omolara Tayo-Makanjuola; and former Lagos State Accountant-General, Dr Abiodun Muritala.
They stressed the need for closer cooperation among government financial institutions to ensure that public resources were efficiently managed and translated into tangible outcomes in infrastructure, social services and other development sectors.
The Guest Speaker at the retreat, Joshua Ademuwagun, also called for greater trust, accountability, commitment and mutual support among public-sector finance professionals.
Ademuwagun said individual success within the public finance system was closely linked to the success of the team, urging participants to leverage their different strengths and work across institutional boundaries.
“Lack of teamwork can be the bane of getting good results. Your job individually is to help your team win. Collaboration must be the name of the game,” he said.
He urged the officers to set aside differences, strengthen professional relationships and promote a culture of cooperation, noting that the quality of financial decisions and the success of government programmes were influenced by the effectiveness of collaboration among officials.
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