Rev. Canon Ben Osisioma, President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), has called on members to re-engineer the accounting profession to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s economy.
Osisioma made the call at the 5th Session of 2021 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme of the association, held on Tuesday in Kaduna.
The theme for the event was ‘Re-Engineering the Accounting Profession in the Post COVID-19 Era’.
He said accounting now is beyond debit and credit, as such accountants must acquire new skills to function effectively in any situation.
Osisioma stressed that the practitioners must be in the vanguard of change by digitising their practices while insisting on financial inclusiveness, sustainable reporting and sound environmental accounting.
The president said that the training was to place members to be on the economic map of the nation, by equipping them with relevant skills for effective services in the post COVID-19 era.
”We must exploit that opportunity by being innovative so that the post COVID-19 era will not be the disaster we fear it to be,” he added.
He noted that part of the opportunities offered by the pandemic, was that professionals “can sit back at home at the comfort of our rooms and organize meetings virtually while exploiting opportunities in order to grow”.
In her remarks, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, advised members of the association to acquire knowledge, skills, and competence that are in tandem with current realities.
According to her, proper and efficient functioning of institutions rely on the key and critical roles accountants play in ensuring growth of private and government businesses.
“Again, the theme depicts the pride of place technology has come occupy in all facets of human endeavor especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The deputy governor, therefore, urged ANAN members to be in tune with global trends and remain relevant and competitive by acquiring news skills, as accounting has increasingly become more remote and digitised.
“The Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme is crucial for retooling, rebranding and re-equipping accountants to work smarter in this new and emerging world,” Balarabe noted.
She explained that COVID-19 brought with it a plethora of challenges for all professions, including a fundamental shift in the nature of work and significant health impacts on workers.
“However, these challenges, provided the opportunity and platform for reinvention.”
The deputy governor disclosed that the state government had partnered Microsoft to digitise government operations in the state.
“It is with the aim to facilitate performance as well as easy tracking of everyday activities, enhance cost-effectiveness and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, as well as corruption,” she said.
She said that the state believed that investing in digital innovation would promote efficiency in public service.
“For Kaduna State Government, the drive for e-governance has been in play since the administration’s start, the pandemic only helped in accelerating implementation.
“Critical services like land administration, public procurement, issuance of building permits, business premises registration, and tax payment have all been automated.
“It is worthy to note that, despite the pandemic, Kaduna state exceeded its IGR target by about N7 billion in 2020, collecting about N50.7 billion.
“We have taken significant steps to entrench accountability and transparency in public finances,” she added.
She however noted that reforming the nation’s public service to achieve efficiency in service delivery can only be possible when public servants are well motivated, equipped and trained.
Balarabe commended the leadership of ANAN for keeping the vision of the association alive, by developing the capacity of its members since it was founded in 1979. (NAN)
