A powerful coalition of civil society organisations has mounted fresh pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sign the Federal Audit Service Bill into law, warning that continued delay could cripple Nigeria’s anti-corruption war, worsen public finance leakages, and further erode confidence in government accountability systems.

The coalition, made up of some of Nigeria’s leading transparency and governance advocacy groups, declared that the country’s current federal audit framework has become dangerously obsolete and incapable of confronting the scale of financial misconduct, waste, and institutional opacity threatening the nation’s economy.

The organisations, including Centre for Social Justice, ActionAid Nigeria, BudgIT, Accountability Lab, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice and Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, said the proposed legislation could become one of the most transformative governance reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history if assented to and implemented faithfully.

In a strongly worded joint statement released to journalists at a press conference in Abuja, the groups argued that Nigeria has effectively operated without a modern federal audit law for decades, despite mounting concerns over corruption, unaccounted public spending, revenue leakages, and weak institutional oversight.

They noted that although the country still references the colonial-era Audit Ordinance of 1956 in public audit processes, the law was neither reproduced in the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 nor in the 2004 revised laws, thereby creating what they described as a dangerous legal vacuum in the management and auditing of public finances.

“As such, there is a lacuna in that area of the law,” the coalition declared.

The civil society organisations warned that the absence of a comprehensive audit law has weakened the constitutional powers of the Auditor-General for the Federation and allowed ministries, departments, and agencies to repeatedly evade accountability for financial infractions.

The Federal Audit Service Bill, which has already been passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent, seeks to overhaul Nigeria’s audit architecture by establishing an autonomous Federal Audit Service and a Federal Audit Board with operational and financial independence.

The proposed legislation also significantly expands the powers of the Auditor-General, enabling the office to conduct forensic audits, investigate fraud, examine classified expenditures, scrutinise subsidies and public-private partnerships, and trace suspicious public funds across both government institutions and private entities.

Under the bill, the Auditor-General would be empowered to summon individuals, compel the production of financial documents, impose surcharges on unaccounted public expenditures, and collaborate directly with anti-graft agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the police, and other law enforcement bodies.

Analysts say the legislation could fundamentally alter Nigeria’s anti-corruption landscape by moving the country away from a weak audit regime often criticised as a mere “report-writing exercise” with little enforcement capacity.

The coalition said one of the biggest flaws in the current system is the routine disregard for audit recommendations by government agencies, resulting in repeated financial violations year after year without consequences.

“Available evidence shows that audit recommendations are treated with levity by MDAs,” the statement said.

“This sets the stage for the year-after-year reoccurrence of the same set of financial felonies and misdemeanours by MDAs.”

The bill introduces strict timelines for the submission and review of financial statements and audit reports, a major departure from the current framework where delayed audits and weak oversight have become commonplace.

It also mandates that audit reports become public documents accessible online after submission to the National Assembly — a provision transparency advocates believe could revolutionise public access to government financial information.

Civil society leaders argue that the measure would empower citizens, journalists, researchers, and watchdog organisations to scrutinise government spending more effectively and expose financial misconduct in real time.

The coalition further highlighted the bill’s provision for improved welfare, remuneration, and operational independence for audit personnel, saying it aligns with global standards for supreme audit institutions under the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

The groups referenced the Lima Declaration on Auditing Precepts, an internationally recognised framework which emphasises that effective auditing is essential to detecting corruption, enforcing accountability, and safeguarding public resources.

According to the coalition, the proposed law is also critical to restoring international confidence in Nigeria’s fiscal governance at a time when the country faces rising debt burdens, subsidy controversies, declining revenues, and persistent concerns over public sector inefficiency.

Economic analysts have repeatedly warned that weak auditing and accountability structures contribute significantly to wasteful spending, contract inflation, and revenue diversion within public institutions.

The coalition argued that assent to the bill would strengthen investor confidence, improve value-for-money in government expenditure, support debt sustainability, and reinforce the Federal Government’s broader reform agenda.

They also urged the Presidency to treat the legislation as a strategic governance milestone capable of enhancing Nigeria’s reputation before international financial institutions and development partners including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Beyond signing the bill, the organisations called for the immediate constitution of the Federal Audit Board within 90 days and the publication of a plain-language summary of the law to improve public understanding and transparency.

Political observers say the mounting pressure over the bill reflects growing public frustration with persistent corruption scandals and concerns that anti-corruption reforms have not translated into stronger institutional accountability.

For many governance advocates, the Federal Audit Service Bill represents far more than administrative reform; it is increasingly being viewed as a decisive test of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to transparency, fiscal discipline, and the fight against corruption under its Renewed Hope Agenda. (THISDAY)

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