To strengthen fiscal discipline and improve internally generated revenue (IGR), the Kogi State Government has announced plans to carry out a bi-annual audit of all 21 local government areas.
The state Auditor-General for Local Government, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, announced during a performance appraisal meeting held in Lokoja with local government chairmen, treasurers, and directors of internal revenue.
According to Adabenege, the audit, set to commence within the next three months, will serve as a mid-year assessment to evaluate the progress of each council in revenue generation and financial management.
“This audit is part of our statutory responsibility, but it also reflects our renewed commitment to ensuring that local governments begin to take full ownership of their financial future,” he said.
Adabenege stressed that several councils are still grappling with basic financial obligations due to poor IGR performance and called for proactive leadership to reverse the trend.
He warned that council chairmen, as the chief executives of their respective LGAs, would be held accountable for lapses recorded under their watch.
“We found during our last review that many revenue streams are either poorly tracked or entirely neglected. This upcoming audit will help us correct these gaps and promote best practices,” he added.
He further emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between treasurers, directors of internal revenue, and revenue officers.
Transparency and efficiency in revenue collection and remittance, he noted, are key to sustainable financial growth at the local level.
Adabenege also revealed that audit teams will not only examine financial records but will also engage council officials directly in the field.
Some directors from his office have already been assigned to LGAs to facilitate smooth interaction during the audit process.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kogi State and Executive Chairman of Yagba West LGA, Hon. Tosin Olokun, commended the initiative.
He described the performance appraisal session as timely, noting that the audit would serve as a benchmark for measuring real growth in local revenue generation.
He added that recent insights from the 2024 financial review exposed several overlooked revenue streams, and the audit would help local councils recover lost ground while encouraging peer learning across the state.
The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Kogi State Government to improve fiscal responsibility, reduce dependence on federal allocations, and promote financial autonomy at the grassroots.
(National Update)
