Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, Chair of the African Association of Accountants General (AAAG), has called on African governments to overhaul public financial management systems and embrace data, technology and stronger governance to secure the continent’s long-term economic transformation.
Delivering his address at the Third AAAG Conference in Accra, Ogunjimi said Africa’s public finance institutions must evolve from traditional, paper-based structures into modern, technology-enabled systems capable of supporting inclusive growth and responding to rising social and economic pressures.
Ogunjimi said Africa’s future prosperity hinges on transparent, resilient and well-run financial systems that can withstand shocks, direct resources to national priorities and build public trust. “Accountability, transparency and fiscal discipline are not mere administrative ideals, but essential drivers of Africa’s progress and shared prosperity,” he said.
The conference, themed “Africa of Tomorrow: Positioning Public Financial Management for Economic Prosperity,” brings together accountants general from across the continent, development partners and policy leaders to examine the structural reforms needed to improve the management of public resources.
Ogunjimi warned that Africa faces increasing pressure from rapid urbanization, population growth, climate change and rising demand for public services. These challenges, he said, require public finance systems that are future-ready and less fragmented. “We cling to the system of yesterday, slow and ill-equipped for the challenges of our time. Or we can dare to transform,” he told delegates.
He stressed that the accountant general’s role has moved far beyond bookkeeping. “We are strategists, fiscal advisers and stewards of integrity,” he said. “Every cedi, franc, naira or dollar must serve one purpose, which is the prosperity of our people.”
Ogunjimi placed strong emphasis on technology as a key driver of reform. He said African governments must equip public servants with digital skills and adopt automation and artificial intelligence to strengthen decision-making and improve efficiency. “Artificial intelligence is not a distant dream, it is here. It empowers us to make evidence-based decisions and craft solutions rooted in data rather than guesswork,” he said.
But he cautioned that technology alone is not enough. “Integrity remains irreplaceable. Every report we publish and every reform we lead must strengthen public trust. For without trust, no fiscal system can endure,” he said.
Ogunjimi outlined five priorities he believes should anchor Africa’s public finance reform agenda, strengthening fiscal transparency, building resilience to shocks, enhancing professionalism and capacity, deepening digital transformation and improving domestic revenue mobilisation.
He said the AAAG was created to help countries learn from each other, modernise systems and promote ethical leadership across public finance institutions. Over the next three days, delegates will examine issues including debt management, illicit financial flows, PPP financing, green budgeting and fiscal transparency.
Ogunjimi urged participants to treat the conference as a turning point. “Every public accountant must be a champion of integrity, transparency and accountability. Every treasury system should be powered by technology. Every government decision must be guided by the desire to deliver public value,” he said.
He thanked President John Dramani Mahama for attending the conference, describing his presence as “a powerful affirmation of your commitment to sound public financial management as a cornerstone of good governance and sustainable development.”
He closed by recognising the government and people of Ghana for hosting the event and reaffirmed AAAG’s commitment to a future defined by transparency, innovation and shared prosperity. “This is the Africa of tomorrow,” he said.
