The Kwara State Government has begun a four-day training for budget, finance, and audit officers across the 16 local government areas to enhance transparency, accountability, and service delivery under the World Bank-supported Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) project.
Declaring the session open in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Finance and Chairperson of the Kwara HOPE Project, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, said the training reflects Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s commitment to strengthening governance systems and building institutional capacity at the grassroots.
She explained that the exercise, themed “Addressing Constraints in Basic Education, Primary Health Care and Governance,” focuses on harmonizing financial guidelines, adopting the National Chart of Accounts (NCoA), and implementing the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
Lead Consultant for the World Bank projects, Dr. Paul Adepelumi, noted that the programme would help local councils meet global transparency standards and eligibility requirements for World Bank performance-based funding.
Local government chairmen, including Hon. Suleiman Olatunji Omintuntun (Offa) and Hon. Shehu Ladan (Ilorin West), lauded the state government for the initiative and pledged to apply the knowledge to strengthen financial reporting in their councils.
The event also featured the distribution of laptops to participants to aid digital accountability and practical learning.
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