It is well-known that in 2022, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, experienced some controversial shake-ups, and was the subject of negative press because of related unpleasant events.

But there have been many positive signs, following those rocky few months at the Treasury. As the institution grapples with the repercussions of the negative developments, there is a sense that a measure of stability and professionalism has returned. This is in spite of the fact that the issues that have shaken public trust in the institution will take some time to dissipate.

One reason for this is that the nation’s Treasury has some of the most qualified professionals in the public sector, with tested capacity for doing justice to their jobs. The OAGF is far from a one-man institution. It has solid structures, processes and procedures that have kept it in solid shape over many decades. And with the oversight provided by the Federal Ministry of Finance within the context of the overall policy direction of the Buhari administration which has prioritized transparency and accountability in the management of the nation’s finances, the institution is certain to move past its previous challenges.

Another reason for the steady progress of the institution, after the recent controversies, is the calm and measured style of the man who was appointed to head the institution following the unfortunate events that kept the Treasury in the news. Sylva Okolieaboh, the Acting Accountant-General has not said much since he was appointed. He has granted no interviews or accepted any invitations from the media to speak on the high-profile developments of the recent past. To those familiar with Okolieaboh, this is no surprise. He has always preferred to let his work speak for him.

An accomplished Public Financial Management expert with an intimidating curriculum vitae which includes over three decades of experience in finance and accounting, at international and local levels; Okolieaboh is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accountancy and Public Financial Management from (the old) Imo State University and University of London, respectively.  He has also attended several executive courses in diverse subjects at the University of Oxford, Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, IMF Institute Washington DC, ILI-South African Centre for Excellence and other respected institutions.

Since 2005, Mr. Okolieaboh has been a core member of the Federal Government of Nigeria PFM reform team. He is the pioneer PFM Team Leader for the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and author of the GIFMIS Chart of Account which has now been adopted as the National Chart of Accounts. The TSA under the leadership of Mr. Okolieaboh is celebrated around the world as one the most successful PFM reforms in Africa and has attracted the attention of other African countries including The Gambia and Ethiopia.