ABUJA, Nigeria, March 6, 2013 --- In line with its support of Nigeria’s drive towards greater transparency and accountability, the World Bank is facilitating a workshop in Abuja, on March 7 - 8 aimed strengthening public financial information systems for better management of State funds.
The objective of the workshop is to sensitize stakeholders in eight Nigeria states - Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Kogi, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi - about the challenges and problem solving skills in implementing State Integrated Financial Management Information Systems, (SIFMIS) reforms at the State level.
The workshop will also help the States to accelerate the pace of reform projects by exposing them to international best practices and through lessons and experiences of their peers in other Nigerian States that have recently implemented similar solution.
“Improving public financial management is a key element of improving Governance in Nigeria, which will ultimately lead to improved services for citizens” said Ms. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, Country Director, World Bank Nigeria.
The workshop is targeted at the units within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) the implementation agencies and all concerned agencies implementing public finance reforms. Various topics and themes would be covered during the 2 days, including experience sharing between States, challenges in IFMIS project and design and country cases, among others.
The World Bank, through its various operations becoming active in 2013, is funding accelerated public financial management reforms in 21 states. The Workshop on integrated financial management systems is part of this engagement. The Bank sees public financial management reforms as instrumental to improving service delivery to Nigerian Citizens as well as to improving Governance in the country.
