World Bank has commended the Government of Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, over the state’s 2020 audited financial statement.
Gatekeepers News reports that the World Bank has described the Kogi State financial report as a standard for transparency and accountability in the public sector.
The multilateral institution was quoted in a letter sent to the Accountant General of Kogi State, dated November 21, 2021.
The State government, while disclosing this in a statement, said the letter which was signed by the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme (SFTAS) Task Team Leader, Nigeria Country Office, Western and Central African Region, Deborah Hannah Isser, was received by the State Accountant General on November 25.
The letter was titled: “Nigeria: Review of Kogi State Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, for State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability.”
SFTAS is a $750 million programme to reward states for meeting any or all of nine indicators that demonstrate improvements in fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
According to nine indicators which were offshoots of the previous Fiscal Sustainability Plan of the federal government, States were to be rewarded for meeting up to 22 targets.
Owing to this, the World Bank had supported the federal government to incentivise the states to properly achieve the 22-point Fiscal Sustainability Plan, which has now been redesigned as the nine Disbursement Linked Indicators under SFTAS.
The criteria expected from the States have increased openness and citizens’ engagement in the budget process; improved financial reporting and budget reliability; strengthened Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection; improved cash management, and reduced revenue leakages through the implementation of State Treasury Single Account (TSA); biometric registration and Bank Verification Number (BVN) used to reduce payroll fraud.
Others include strengthened public debt management and fiscal responsibility framework; improved procurement practices for increased transparency and value for money; improved clearance/reduction of the stock of domestic expenditure arrears; and improved debt sustainability.
The SFTAS programme, which Nigeria signed in July 2016, is also part of efforts of the federal government to further enhance the transparency and accountability in the use of public resources through the implementation of the Open Government Partnership.
The World Bank, in the letter addressed to the Kogi State government, applauded the state for preparing its audited financial statements in line with the accrual basis of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards.
It added, “We note that Kogi State Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 7020 has been uploaded on the state website as per the SFTAS’ eligibility criteria for FY21.
“The Financial Statements were prepared on IPSAS accrual basis, and the Auditor General of the State has issued an Audit Certificate with an unqualified (clean) audit opinion on the General-Purpose Financial Statement (GPFS) and a Special Opinion on SFTAS Program Expenditure Framework during the period.
“The bank has reviewed the Audited Financial Statements, and it is found acceptable for SFTAS Program Fiduciary assurance requirements.”
The statement further noted that the World Bank letter came about four months after it issued a letter commending Governor Yahaya Bello for exemplary leadership and the refund of a $4.63million surpluses under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
In the letter of appreciation, titled, “Refund of Surplus Project Funds to the World Bank under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) (IDA Credits: 62770, 62780)”, signed by its Regional Director, Shubham Chaudhuri, the Bretton Woods institution was quoted in the statement to have asserted that the Governor’s action made it possible for the organisation to extend its projects to other states facing deficit funds and closing date of its projects.
According to the statement, the latest World Bank letter is also coming about a month after the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) acknowledged the improvement of Kogi State on its ICAN’S Novel Accountability Index (ICAN AI).
ICAN said the state moved from 12th to 7th position in its 2019 assessments.
