The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Shaakaa Chira, has called on environmental auditors to develop a robust auditing methodologies to evaluate the impact of climate change.
Mr. Chira, who was speaking at the opening of the 11th annual meeting of the African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Audit (AFROSAI WGEA), held in Abuja, said the impacts of climate change are far-reaching, affecting various sectors and communities across the African continent.
The Working Group on Environmental Auditing of the African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI WGEA) is the African regional branch of a global working group of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) dedicated to environmental issues.
The meeting has as its theme: Auditing Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience.”
The AuGF who is also the President of AFROSAI WGEA, said in view of the seriousness of the issue of climate change, “It therefore behooves on us, the Auditors-General (AGs), to equip ourselves with the requisite knowledge and tools to assess the effectiveness of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.”
He noted that the AFROSAI WGEA provides a veritable platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building among Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in Africa.
According to him, “By coming together, we can enhance our understanding of the complexities surrounding climate change and develop robust auditing methodologies to evaluate the impact of climate change policies and initiatives.
“Climate change is a global challenge that requires collective efforts and innovative solutions. As public sector auditors, we have a crucial role to play in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective governance in addressing climate change-related issues and by extension, ensuring efficient and judicious utilization of huge public financial resources committed towards addressing the menace engendered by climate change.”
He called on participants to actively engage in the sessions, share experiences, and contribute to the collective knowledge of the Working Group.
“Let us foster an environment of open dialogue, collaboration, and mutual learning,” he said.
“Through these discussions, we should aim to identify good practices, challenges, and opportunities in auditing climate change-related activities.
“I am optimistic that the outcomes of our deliberations will contribute in no small measure towards strengthening the accountability and transparency of climate change actions in our respective countries.”
Also speaking, the Auditor-General of the Republic of Kenya and the Chair the AFROSAI Priority No.1 – Institutional and Technical
Capacity Building Committee (ITCBC), Nancy Gathungu, while thanking the Auditor General for the Federation for hosting the meeting, said Abuja, the host city is a reminder of many Environmental Auditing initiatives.
Gathungu who was represented by the Deputy Auditor-General of the Republic of Kenya, Mr. Isaac K. Ng’ang’a, also thanked stakeholders for the direct support they accorded to the activities of AFROSAI WGEA.
She said the Institutional and Technical Capacity Building Committee (ITCBC) is a specialized organ of AFROSAI, noting that AFROSAI ITCBC has specific terms of reference which includes, Contributing to implementation of the United Nations 2030 and the African Union 2063 agendas; Working with key stakeholders at national and regional levels to prevent the impact of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs); Supporting and promoting gender equality; and Being proactive in proposing innovative solutions to any emerging issues requiring a response from African SAIs.
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