Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has urged Auditors-General for Local Governments across Nigeria to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to strengthen accountability, curb financial leakages and ensure that public funds are effectively utilised for development.
Ododo made the call at the Government House, Lokoja, while declaring open the 30th Annual Conference of Auditors-General for Local Governments in Nigeria.
The conference, which runs from August 10 to 14, 2026, has the 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 duties of auditors go beyond checking financial records and preparing reports, stressing that every public fund carries a moral responsibility to the people.
He explained that behind every budgetary allocation lies a specific need, such as roads to be constructed, schools to be improved, hospitals to provide healthcare or opportunities to empower young people.
“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 granted to Local Governments by the Supreme Court had made transparency, prudence and accountability at the grassroots more important.
He said greater financial autonomy must be matched with greater responsibility, urging auditors to deploy modern tools such as data analytics, machine learning, predictive modelling and geospatial intelligence to detect suspicious transactions, identify financial risks and facilitate early intervention.
Ododo, however, cautioned that technology should complement rather than replace integrity and professional 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 the state’s audit institutions following the commissioning of the Kogi State Audit House earlier in the year.
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According to him, the facility is being equipped with modern audit technologies, while contract audit staff engaged during his tenure as Auditor-General for Local Governments are being converted to permanent appointments.
He also announced plans for a statewide recruitment exercise aimed at addressing manpower gaps in the state’s audit institutions.
Ododo further revealed 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 for capacity development.
He challenged participants to ensure that the conference produced more than resolutions, urging them to return to their respective offices with renewed commitment to professional courage, independence, technological innovation and service to the public.
Earlier, the Auditor-General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Hon. Yakubu Siaka Adabenege, commended Governor Ododo for approving the funding and hosting of the conference in the state.
Adabenege said the governor’s support reflected his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and good governance.
He described the conference as an avenue for auditors across the country to exchange ideas and develop new strategies for strengthening public-sector auditing.
He also appreciated the leadership of the Conference of Auditors-General and participants from across the country for attending the event, promising to discharge his responsibilities with diligence and integrity.
The Kogi Auditor-General stressed that auditing should not be restricted to detecting errors, but should also focus on strengthening financial systems, protecting public resources and restoring citizens’ confidence in government.
Also speaking, the Auditor-General for the Federation, Dr. Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, described the conference theme as timely, noting that the growing digitalisation of public financial management had created new risks and responsibilities for auditors.
Chira said auditors must develop new skills and methodologies to effectively monitor digital transactions, electronic procurement, cybersecurity, automated systems and data integrity.
He cautioned auditors against assuming that the deployment of AI would absolve them of responsibility for financial misconduct, stressing that professional judgment and ethical accountability remained essential.
The Auditor-General for the Federation also said the financial autonomy of Local Governments should ultimately result in improved service delivery, including better roads, primary healthcare, basic education, potable water, sanitation and agricultural support.
He called for sustained investment in human capital, urging auditors to acquire expertise in data analytics, digital auditing, cybersecurity, forensic techniques and other emerging technologies.
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