The Lagos State Government has charged Directors and Heads of Finance and Accounts across its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strengthen collaboration, accountability and financial discipline to improve public-sector performance and service delivery.
The call was made at a two-day retreat organised by the State Treasury Office (STO) for finance and accounts officers across the state, with the theme, ‘Strengthening Public Finance in Lagos State – Compliance to Performance.’
Speaking at the retreat, Abayomi Oluyomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, said the state could no longer afford fragmented financial operations, stressing that greater collaboration among finance officers was critical to achieving institutional and fiscal efficiency.
Oluyomi said Lagos had significant human capital across its public service, but that the full value of this capacity could only be realised when officers worked together rather than operating in silos.
‘In the past, there were many people working in parallel without synergy. This retreat is to open the eyes of our staff to collaboration, which is the most important thing, because without it, we will just be working at cross purposes,’ he said.
According to him, effective collaboration would not only improve productivity but also create a healthier work environment and strengthen employee motivation.
‘Working individually is no longer recognised in Lagos State. What we want is collaboration. When you collaborate, the work environment is better for it. Motivation is not only about money; it is also about the work environment,’ Oluyomi said.
The commissioner’s position underscores the state’s broader shift from a predominantly compliance-driven public finance system towards one that links financial management to measurable performance and service outcomes.
Adetola John, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Treasury Office, said finance and accounts officers had a critical role to play in improving the performance of their respective MDAs, particularly as the state seeks greater efficiency in the management of public resources.
‘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,’ John said.
He added that the focus should no longer be merely on completing routine financial processes, but on using public finance management to drive better institutional outcomes.
‘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,’ he said.
Joshua Ademuwagun, the guest speaker at the retreat, said effective public-sector financial management requires trust, commitment, accountability and the ability of officers to leverage one another’s strengths.
‘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,’ Ademuwagun said.
He urged the finance officers to put aside differences and build stronger professional relationships, arguing that the quality of financial decisions and public-sector outcomes depends significantly on how effectively officials work across institutional boundaries.
The emphasis on collaboration and performance comes as governments face increasing pressure to ensure that public resources are deployed efficiently and translated into measurable improvements in infrastructure, social services and economic development.
For Lagos, the transition from ‘compliance to performance’ potentially places greater emphasis on how effectively financial controls, budgeting, accounting and reporting contribute to the state’s development priorities, rather than simply meeting procedural requirements.
This version gives the story a stronger business/economy angle by connecting the retreat to public-finance efficiency, resource allocation, accountability, productivity and measurable government performance, rather than presenting it mainly as an internal staff event.