‎The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, has called on accountants to play a more strategic role in ensuring that public resources translate into tangible development outcomes for citizens.

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‎He made the call while speaking at the third panel session of the 31st Annual National Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), in Abuja on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with the sub-theme, “Strategic Public Financial Management for National Development.”

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‎The session, led by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, featured the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FMBN, Shehu Usman Osidi, as well as Finance and Business Transformation Expert, Dr. Michael Ahondo Ityough, as discussants, with Professor Musa Inuwa Fodio serving as Moderator.

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‎Responding to a question on how government could determine whether public expenditure had delivered value for money, Osidi, who was represented on the panel by the Bank's Group Head of Finance and Control, Mr. Egbita Adejo Bamidele, stressed that public spending should ultimately be measured by its impact on citizens.

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‎Speaking from the perspective of the housing sector, he highlighted FMBN’s role in translating government’s housing priorities into tangible outcomes through financing interventions targeted at low- and middle-income Nigerians.

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‎He cited the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, in which FMBN is a key driver, and the Bank’s Diaspora Mortgage Loan as practical avenues for translating housing finance into increased access to affordable homeownership for Nigerians at home and abroad, urging Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunities.

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‎The FMBN Chief Executive's position was reinforced by the other panelists, who emphasised the critical role of accountants in public financial management and national development. 

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‎Dr. Ogunjimi emphasized the need for budgets to be prepared in alignment with the National Development Plan and government priorities, while also calling for accountants to continually build their capacity.

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‎The discussants advocated institutional reforms to give accountants a stronger voice in budgetary allocation and implementation, alongside measures to strengthen accountability for budget execution. They also stressed the need for accountants to champion fiscal discipline, compliance and value-for-money assessment by determining whether funds released are effectively utilised and producing the expected impact on society.

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‎They further called for greater investment in capacity development and the automation of accounting processes, enabling accountants to focus more on strategic decision-making and interpretation of financial information.

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‎Concluding the session, Prof. Musa Inuwa Fodio charged accountants to embrace digital competence and continually deskill, re-skill and upskill to remain relevant in an increasingly technology-driven environment.

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‎Awards of recognition were presented to all the panelists by the President and Chairman of Council of ANAN, Chief Hajia Zuwairat Talatu Kishimi, for their contributions to the conference, which concludes on Thursday, September 10, with fellowship awards to deserving awardees.

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