September 14, 2026 by Our Reporter
Sanwo-Olu to accountants: harness AI for public finance
Lagos State Government has urged accountants and other financial professionals in the public service to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen efficiency, transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave the advice in his goodwill message at the 17th Annual Public Lecture of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Lagos State Public Service Chapter, with the theme: “Opportunities and Challenges of Adopting Artificial Intelligence for Accountants in Public Service.” The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Abayomi Oluyomi, described the theme as relevant to Lagos, considering the scale and complexity of the state’s public financial management system.
He said AI could provide solutions to some aspects of public financial management, including financial reconciliation, anomaly detection, revenue forecasting, taxpayer visibility and the analysis of financial transactions, thereby improving the efficiency and responsiveness of government processes.
The governor called on ICAN to take a leading role in developing professional standards, training curricula and ethical guidelines that would support the responsible deployment of AI in accounting and public sector financial management.
He assured public sector accountants that the emergence of AI should not be viewed as a threat to their profession, but as an opportunity to enhance their capacity, improve productivity and contribute more strategically to governance.
The 62nd President of ICAN, Hajia Queensley Seghosime, said Artificial Intelligence was no longer a distant possibility, but a technology already reshaping institutions through improved information analysis, risk detection, service delivery and decision-making.
She, however, cautioned that its adoption must address concerns around data quality, cybersecurity, privacy, bias, transparency and ethical responsibility, stressing that AI could process information faster, but could not assume the professional responsibility, conscience and judgment of an accountant.
The Chairman, ICAN Lagos State Public Service Chapter, Dr. Suarau Oluwatoyin, described the theme of the lecture as timely and an urgent professional mandate, noting that the accounting profession had evolved beyond the preparation of financial statements to addressing its wider impact on the society, environment and future.
Suarau emphasised the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and transparent sustainability frameworks, urging members of the profession to embrace technological innovation, challenge conventional approaches and leverage their competence, accuracy and integrity to support the responsible adoption of AI.
The Accountant-General/Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Government, Dr. Muyiwa Adetola, hailed ICAN for sustaining the annual lecture and its contribution to professionalism, competence, integrity and accountability in public finance management.
Adetola called for investment in digital infrastructure, data governance, cybersecurity and continuous professional development to prepare public sector professionals for the technological transition.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Internal Audit, Mrs. Monsurat Alaka, commended ICAN Lagos State Public Service Chapter for its sustained commitment to professional development and the promotion of best practices among accountants, auditors and other finance professionals in the Public Service.
She described the annual lecture as an important platform for knowledge-sharing and constructive engagement on issues affecting public finance and the wider society.
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