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Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has charged Auditors-General for Local Governments across Nigeria to deploy Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies to strengthen accountability, curb financial leakages and ensure that public funds are translated into measurable development at the grassroots.
Ododo gave the charge on Monday at the Government House, Lokoja, while declaring open the 30th Annual Conference of Auditors-General for Local Governments in Nigeria, holding from August 10 to 14, 2026.
The conference has as its theme: “Repositioning Auditors-General for Governance Excellence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Towards Global Best Practices in Local Government Audit.”
Speaking from his experience as a former Auditor-General for Local Governments in Kogi State, the governor said the role of auditors goes beyond checking figures and preparing financial reports, stressing that every naira entrusted to government carries a moral responsibility to the people.
He said behind every budgetary allocation was a human need, including roads requiring construction or rehabilitation, schools needing attention, hospitals expected to save lives and opportunities capable of lifting young people out of poverty.
“Compliance is fundamental, but value for money must remain at the heart of public financial management,” Ododo said.
The governor noted that the financial autonomy of Local Governments, as affirmed by the Supreme Court, had further heightened the need for transparency, prudence and accountability at the grassroots.
According to him, greater financial autonomy must be accompanied by greater responsibility, with auditors playing a critical role in ensuring that public resources are properly managed and deployed for the benefit of citizens.
Ododo challenged auditors to embrace data analytics, machine learning, predictive modelling, geospatial intelligence and other digital tools capable of detecting unusual transactions, identifying financial risks and enabling early intervention.
He, however, cautioned that technology must complement, rather than replace, professional integrity and human judgment.
“Artificial Intelligence can identify a pattern; the auditor must understand what that pattern means. A machine can flag a transaction; professional judgment must determine whether it is an error, misconduct or a legitimate transaction,” he said.
The governor disclosed that his administration had continued to strengthen Kogi State’s audit institutions following the commissioning of the Kogi State Audit House earlier in the year.
He said the facility was being equipped with modern audit technologies, while contract audit staff engaged during his tenure as Auditor-General for Local Governments were being converted to permanent appointments.
Ododo also announced plans for a statewide recruitment exercise to strengthen manpower within the state’s audit institutions.
He further disclosed that Kogi State had entered into a four-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and the state’s audit offices to facilitate capacity development.
The governor urged participants to leave the conference with more than resolutions, calling for renewed commitment to professional courage, independence, technological innovation and public service.
Earlier, the Auditor-General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Hon. Yakubu Siaka Adabenege, commended Governor Ododo for approving the financing and hosting of the conference in Kogi.
Adabenege said the governor’s support demonstrated his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and good governance.
He described the conference as an opportunity for auditors from across the country to exchange ideas and chart new pathways for effective public-sector auditing.
The Kogi Auditor-General also appreciated the leadership of the Conference of Auditors-General and participants from across the country for their support and attendance, pledging to discharge his responsibilities with diligence and integrity.
He stressed that auditing should not be restricted to detecting errors, but should also focus on strengthening financial systems, protecting public resources and building citizens’ confidence in government.
Also speaking, the Auditor-General for the Federation, Dr. Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, commended the organisers for sustaining the annual conference, describing this year’s theme as timely and visionary.
Chira said the increasing digitalisation of public financial management had created the need for auditors to acquire new skills and adopt methodologies capable of addressing emerging risks associated with digital transactions, electronic procurement, cybersecurity, automated systems and data integrity.
He warned auditors against assuming that the use of Artificial Intelligence absolved them of responsibility for wrongdoing, stressing that professional judgment and ethical accountability remained indispensable.
The Auditor-General for the Federation further noted that stronger financial autonomy for Local Governments must ultimately translate into improved services for citizens, including better roads, primary healthcare, basic education, water supply, sanitation and agricultural support.
He therefore called for sustained investment in human capital, urging auditors to acquire competencies in data analytics, digital auditing, cybersecurity, forensic techniques and other emerging technologies to remain effective in a rapidly changing public financial management environment.
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