The Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative has called for the enactment of a Federal Audit Law, financial autonomy for public audit institutions and stronger legislative oversight of government spending ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Executive Director of PLSI, Olusegun Elemo, made the demands at a press conference marking the organisation’s 10th anniversary, saying stronger accountability mechanisms were needed to ensure effective management of public resources.
Elemo urged President Bola Tinubu to support the enactment of a Federal Audit Law and reforms to strengthen the independence, funding and effectiveness of audit institutions at federal and state levels.
He also called for financial and administrative autonomy for audit institutions, the establishment of independent audit boards and greater use of performance audits to determine whether government programmes and projects were delivering value for money.
The PLSI boss also demanded stronger Public Accounts Committees in the National and State Assemblies to ensure audit reports were properly scrutinised and their recommendations acted on.
According to him, only five of the 36 states have implemented financial autonomy for their audit institutions, while only 12 have established administrative independence.
He said only three states had produced standard performance audit reports, while 18 states had published audit reports on state accounts and 15 local government audit institutions had published their reports.
The PLSI boss also said only three states had effective Public Accounts Committees, describing stronger legislative oversight as essential to improving public financial accountability.
Beyond audit reforms, Elemo called for greater transparency in public finances, including publishing Citizens’ Accountability Reports to give Nigerians clearer information on government revenue, expenditure and project outcomes.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, the PLSI boss urged political parties and candidates to present clear and costed manifestos, while calling on citizens to demand measurable commitments and hold elected officials accountable for their promises.
He also called for stronger enforcement of existing accountability laws and greater collaboration among audit institutions, legislatures, civil society groups and citizens in monitoring public expenditure.
The PLSI boss said strengthening the accountability framework would help ensure that public resources were used more effectively and that government programmes delivered measurable results.