Commissioner tasks finance officers on inter-agency collaboration

The Lagos State Government has told its directors and heads of finance and accounts across ministries, departments and agencies that simply complying with financial procedures is no longer enough, charging them to work across institutional boundaries and ensure public resources translate into measurable results.

The Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, gave the charge on Friday at a two-day retreat organised by the State Treasury Office for finance and accounts officers across the state’s MDAs.

The retreat, themed Strengthening Public Finance in Lagos State – Compliance to Performance,” centred on a push to make collaboration, accountability and institutional performance a more deliberate part of public financial management.

Oluyomi said the state could no longer afford a public service in which officials worked independently or in parallel, arguing that a lack of coordination could leave government institutions working at cross purposes.

He said, “What Lagos State is enjoying is the quality of our staff. In the past, there were many people working in parallel without synergy. So this retreat is to open the eyes of our staff to collaboration, which is the most important thing because without it, we will just be working at cross purposes.”

The commissioner said the emphasis on teamwork was not simply about improving relationships among civil servants but about creating a work environment capable of producing better results for Lagos residents.

“Working individually is no longer recognised in Lagos State. What we want is collaboration. When you collaborate, the work environment is better for it. Motivation is not only about money. It’s also about the work environment. Collaboration is what we are preaching now,” Oluyomi said.

The Permanent Secretary of the State Treasury Office, Dr Adetola John, reinforced the message when he told the finance officers that their responsibilities extended beyond the performance of their individual ministries and agencies.

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“What we need for us to get to the top is collaboration and teamwork. You should avoid being the weak link and ensure we move our respective offices forward so we can be a better team,” John said.

She urged the officers to stop viewing their responsibilities as isolated cycles within their respective MDAs, stressing that the state’s financial management system depended on the performance of its different parts.

“It’s not just for us to work in cycles but as a team. So much is expected of us because we all need ourselves. We should be a big fish that cannot be swallowed. This time, we are moving from compliance to performance,” she said.

The guest speaker, Dr Joshua Ademuwagun, said that transition would require finance officers to overcome personal and institutional differences and build trust, commitment and accountability within their teams.

“Lack of teamwork can be the bane of getting good results. Your job individually is to help your team win. Collaboration must be the name of the game,” Ademuwagun told the participants.

He urged the officers to use their respective strengths to improve collective performance, rather than allowing differences between individuals or offices to undermine government objectives.

“Team members should help each other and leverage their strengths. If you want to achieve your mission and vision, you must collaborate; it’s not an option,” he said.