AGF, Finance Commissioners Criticized for London Workshop Amidst Forex Scarcity

Nigerians have expressed their discontent with the decision of the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and state commissioners of finance to attend a workshop on public financial management and international public sector accounting standards (IPSAS) in London, United Kingdom.

The workshop took place at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington, London, from March 4 to March 9, 2024.

The event, titled ‘Public Financial Management and IPSAS Workshop for State Commissioners of Finance and Officials of OAGF,’ was attended by members of the Federation Account Allocation Committee’s (FAAC) sub-committee on IPSAS implementation in Nigeria, as well as officials from the OAGF in Abuja.

Critics, including Ken Wiwa, have taken to social media to question the necessity of holding such a workshop in London, especially when the government is advocating for cost-saving measures due to dwindling revenue and forex scarcity.

Bawa Mokwa, the director of press at the Accountant-General’s office, defended the decision, stating that the event is held annually and has been approved by the National Economic Council.

He explained that the event’s facilitators are based in the UK and that the country is the origin of IPSAS.

Despite these explanations, many Nigerians remain skeptical about the necessity of holding the workshop abroad, arguing that it could have been held in Nigeria to strengthen the naira and save costs.