The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, has called for stronger financial accountability and digital innovation in public healthcare institutions to improve transparency, resource management and service delivery.
The call was made during the hospital’s maiden International Accounting Week celebration, which brought together financial managers, public sector administrators and accounting scholars to discuss ways of strengthening financial management in Nigeria’s public health sector.
The event, held under the theme, “Accountability and Innovation: Driving Public Sector Excellence Through Digital Transformation,” marked the first time the specialist hospital, established in 2022, was observing the global accounting week.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Director of Finance and Accounts of the hospital, Aienloshan Omo Obemeata, FCNA, described the celebration as a significant milestone in the institution’s commitment to fiscal integrity and operational excellence.
Obemeata said the responsibilities of public sector accountants had gone beyond routine bookkeeping and statutory compliance, stressing the need to embrace technology while maintaining high ethical standards.
“True public sector excellence requires us to blend absolute fiscal integrity with modern innovation.
“Digital transformation is no longer a distant goal; it is our current operational reality. From automated payment channels and real-time reporting to cloud-based audit trails, technology provides the tools to enhance transparency, streamline resource allocation and eliminate inefficiencies,” he said.
He, however, warned that technology alone could not guarantee accountability, noting that institutional ethics and commitment to transparency remained essential to building public trust.
The acting director urged financial officers in the hospital to adopt global best practices, strengthen internal controls and improve revenue and expenditure management to enhance healthcare delivery.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Occasion and Dean of the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Prof. Enyina Okpara, commended the hospital’s management for creating a platform to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical financial management in the public sector.
Okpara said effective financial stewardship was essential to the sustainability of specialist medical institutions, adding that transparent management of resources translated into improved patient care and institutional development.
In his keynote lecture, a Professor of Accounting and Taxation at the University of Benin, Prof. Alade Sule Omoye, said Nigeria’s public sector needed fundamental institutional reforms to meet growing citizens’ expectations.
Omoye explained that digital transformation went beyond scanning paper documents or purchasing computers, stressing that it required a comprehensive restructuring of administrative processes and a culture that prioritised transparency.
Citing the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Treasury Single Account and Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, he said integrated digital platforms were critical to eliminating ghost workers, preventing revenue leakages and ensuring that public funds could be properly tracked.
He, however, cautioned that technological innovation without accountability could create fresh opportunities for financial misconduct and data breaches.
The professor called for sustained investment in human capacity development, stronger cybersecurity measures in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and deliberate efforts to address infrastructure deficits and resistance to institutional reforms.
Earlier, in a technical presentation, Mrs Patricia Isueken examined the impact of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards on financial reporting in Nigerian government hospitals.
She explained that the adoption of accrual-based accounting had improved public hospitals’ ability to account for financial obligations, medical equipment, pension liabilities and other assets that were previously not adequately captured under the cash-based accounting system.
According to her, the standards enable hospitals to track donated and purchased medical equipment, calculate depreciation, monitor receivables from the National Health Insurance Scheme and determine the actual operational costs of specialised units, including laboratories and theatres.
Isueken identified inadequate staff training, high capacity-building costs and gaps in existing asset registers as some of the challenges affecting effective implementation of the standards.
She recommended continuous professional training by accounting bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, as well as regular compliance reviews by the Ministry of Health.
She said improved financial reporting would strengthen donor confidence, attract better funding and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation of an Award of Excellence in Accounting to the Acting Director of Finance and Accounts, Obemeata, in recognition of his leadership, financial stewardship and contributions to advancing public sector accounting standards in the hospital.
The award was presented by Okpara on behalf of the hospital’s Department of Finance and Accounts.
In her opening remarks, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Miss Bawa Magdalene, said the celebration was organised to highlight the important contributions of financial professionals to the sustainability of public healthcare institutions.
She commended the hospital’s management and participants for embracing continuous learning and professional development.
The event was attended by the Director of Clinical Services, Dr Jude Okpamen; Director of Administration, Dr Henry Egbon; Director of Finance and Accounts, National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Mrs Ejiehi D. Akuete-Ekhator; Chief Executive Officer of TOC Travels Limited, Mr Adebayo Martins; Comrade Erasmus Ikhide, as well as other hospital management officials, heads of departments and staff.
