Tinubu: Government Spending Must Be Judged by Results, Not Expenditure

President Bola Tinubu calls for stronger accountability in public spending

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian accountants to move beyond recording how much government spends and focus more closely on what public expenditure delivers for citizens and the economy.

The President made the call at the 31st Annual National Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) in Abuja, where he said accountants should become more active participants in governance, economic reforms and public-sector performance management.

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Represented by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Ogunjimi, Tinubu said the central question in public financial management should increasingly shift from how much was spent to what was achieved with the resources deployed.

Tinubu Calls for Greater Focus on Results

Tinubu said accountants have an important role in ensuring that public resources generate measurable value.

He argued that reliable financial information remains essential to effective planning and resource allocation, but accounting should not stop at documenting expenditure.

The President said professionals should also help government identify risks, challenge assumptions, evaluate performance and provide information that can improve policy decisions.

This approach would move the accounting profession from simply recording financial transactions towards helping institutions assess whether public programmes are achieving their intended objectives.

Accountability Must Extend Beyond Budget Spending

The President's comments come amid continuing concerns about the effectiveness of public expenditure and the ability of government projects to translate budget allocations into tangible improvements.

Tinubu said the Federal Government had continued to prioritise public financial management, revenue mobilisation, expenditure discipline, transparency and accountability.

He also pointed to the 2026 Budget's emphasis on stronger budget institutions, programming discipline, monitoring and reporting.

For infrastructure-heavy sectors such as housing, transport, water and urban development, measuring outcomes could provide a clearer indication of whether allocated funds are producing the intended economic and social benefits.

Housing Projects Need Stronger Performance Measurement

The emphasis on measuring impact has particular relevance to Nigeria's housing sector, where the size of government allocations does not necessarily indicate the number, quality or affordability of homes ultimately delivered.

A housing programme should therefore be assessed not only by its budget allocation but by measurable outcomes such as completed housing units, occupancy levels, affordability, infrastructure connectivity, construction timelines and access for intended beneficiaries.

This is particularly important where public housing projects experience delays, cost increases or prolonged periods between construction and occupation.

A results-based approach could also help government distinguish between projects that generate meaningful housing supply and those that consume resources without adequately addressing local housing needs.

Accountants Could Strengthen Infrastructure Oversight

Tinubu also challenged accountants to become more involved in the design and implementation of government reforms.

Their role, he said, should include identifying risks, providing professional insight and helping institutions make better decisions.

For infrastructure projects, this could strengthen oversight of procurement, project costs, variations, timelines and completion rates.

Better financial monitoring could also help government identify projects where expenditure is increasing without corresponding progress on the ground.

This is particularly relevant to Nigeria's housing and urban infrastructure sectors, where the cost of land, construction materials, financing and supporting infrastructure can significantly affect project viability.

Technology Set to Change the Accounting Profession

Tinubu also urged accountants to embrace artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics.

He said technological advances would automate some traditional accounting functions but create opportunities for professionals to devote more time to analysis, forecasting, risk management and performance evaluation.

The shift could improve the quality and speed of public-sector financial analysis if government institutions develop reliable digital systems and ensure that financial and project data are accurate.

For housing and infrastructure agencies, stronger data systems could make it easier to monitor project delivery across locations and compare planned expenditure with actual physical progress.

ANAN Highlights Nigeria's Accountability Gap

Earlier, ANAN President and Chairman of Council, Zuwairat Talatu Kishimi, called for the accounting profession to become more involved in decision-making before public resources are committed.

She said accountants should help institutions assess what a project is intended to achieve, how much it should cost, the risks involved, how progress will be measured and what evidence will demonstrate success.

Kishimi described the difference between resources committed and results achieved as an "accountability gap".

She argued that a budget allocation does not automatically translate into infrastructure, just as an announced investment does not automatically create jobs.

Implications for Nigeria's Property and Construction Market

The emphasis on measurable results could influence how government housing and infrastructure programmes are planned and evaluated.

For the property sector, the quality of roads, drainage, electricity, water supply and transport infrastructure can significantly affect land values, housing demand and the development potential of emerging communities.

Ensuring that public infrastructure budgets produce completed and functional assets could therefore have wider economic effects beyond the immediate government project.

Better project monitoring could also improve investor confidence by providing greater visibility over infrastructure delivery and reducing uncertainty around government-funded developments.

For housing developers, reliable infrastructure can lower some of the costs associated with developing new communities, while for households it can improve the attractiveness and accessibility of housing outside established urban centres.

Results-Based Spending Could Improve Housing Delivery

The President's call ultimately places greater emphasis on the difference between money allocated and outcomes achieved.

For Nigeria's housing sector, this means public programmes could increasingly be evaluated according to whether they deliver homes that people can afford, occupy and access with adequate infrastructure.

It also reinforces the importance of transparent project monitoring, accurate financial reporting and stronger coordination between financial managers, policymakers and technical professionals.

Conclusion

President Tinubu's call for accountants to measure the impact of government spending rather than simply record expenditure highlights a broader shift towards results-based public financial management.

For Nigeria's housing and infrastructure sectors, the approach could strengthen accountability by linking government expenditure to measurable outcomes such as completed homes, functional infrastructure, project timelines and affordability.

The effectiveness of the policy direction will ultimately depend on whether government institutions adopt reliable systems for measuring results and use the information to improve future spending decisions.

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