NGO Trains Finance Officials on Enhanced Accounting, Budgeting in Taraba
By Umar Dankano
An international non-governmental organization, Oxfam, in collaboration with the Taraba State Government, has concluded a three-day capacity-building workshop for state and local government directors of finance and budget. The training focused on enhancing accounting and budgeting systems to promote transparency and good governance.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Samuel Lashom, Project Officer for Oxfam, stated that the training was part of the organization’s Strengthen Civic Engagement Platforms and Systems for Improved Services (SCEPSIS) project in the state. The initiative aims to improve governance, enhance service delivery, and promote fiscal responsibility.
Lashom emphasized the importance of civic engagement in achieving these goals, noting that Oxfam’s comprehensive budget analysis for 2022/2023 had identified critical gaps in open budget practices.
He stressed the need to strengthen Taraba’s budget processes, including budget laws, institutional capacities, fiscal responsibility laws, sectoral plans, and inter-agency coordination.
“The workshop offers participants insights to drive a paradigm shift in civic engagement platforms and systems, ultimately leading to improved service delivery,” Lashom said.
In his remarks, Oxfam’s Project Coordinator, Mr. Daniel Abah, highlighted the objective of the training: building the capacity of state, local government, and civil society organization (CSO) officials on International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
Abah explained that adopting IPSAS would improve consistency, comparability, and alignment of financial systems at state and local government levels with global best practices.
He also underscored the importance of enhanced internal controls and comprehensive cost analysis to support results-based planning and implementation at the local government level.
“This session bridges existing gaps, fosters idea exchange, and forges a shared understanding on driving reforms to transform systems and processes,” Abah added.
Participants and stakeholders, including Amina Ayuba, Deputy Director of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and DanAsabe Ajiduku Ahmadu, Director of Budget, expressed their gratitude for the training. Both acknowledged that the workshop had significantly broadened their knowledge and would positively impact their professional practices.
