FRC Chairman Received SERDEC Team on Adviocacy Visit, Pledges Stronger Collaboration
Oru Leonard
The Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Victor Muruako, Esq, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and collaboration with civil society organizations during an advocacy visit by the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC) to his office in Abuja.
The visit, led by Tijani Abdulkareem, the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, was part of ongoing advocacy efforts around the Open Government Partnership (OGP), to strengthen engagement with institutions critical to promoting fiscal openness and responsible public financial management.
In his remarks, the SERDEC delegation highlighted the purpose of the visit, which included exploring alignment between the FRC’s mandate and OGP commitments, proposing collaboration on fiscal transparency initiatives, and presenting strategic recommendations to enhance the Commission’s public engagement and digital innovation.
“SERDEC recognizes the pivotal role FRC plays in enforcing fiscal discipline, monitoring public expenditure, and ensuring budget compliance. These functions directly support the goals of the OGP, especially in promoting transparency, anti-corruption, and citizen participation,” a representative from the NGO stated.
SERDEC presented several advocacy points including calls for:
Increased public access to FRC’s reports and fiscal data in simplified formats.
Regular civil society engagement forums on fiscal responsibility.
Joint public education programs on budgeting and fiscal laws.
Support for open budget platforms at the sub-national level.
Partnership in tracking budget implementation and compliance at the grassroots.
Responding, Chairman Muruako welcomed the initiative and expressed the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with SERDEC and similar organizations. He emphasized the Commission’s active role in anti-corruption efforts, notably through its membership in the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reform (TUGAR).
He also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s fiscal reforms and expressed full support for the push toward Local Government autonomy. However, he cautioned that local government officials must first be trained in budgeting and fiscal responsibility to ensure effective implementation.
“The Commission has a broad mandate but faces financial constraints in fulfilling its responsibilities,” Muruako said, noting that efforts are underway to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 to enhance revenue generation into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
He concluded by assuring SERDEC of the Commission’s openness to partnership, stating, “Our collaboration machinery is ready and waiting. We look forward to working together to achieve our shared vision of open and accountable governance.”
The visit marks a significant step towards deepening civil society-government collaboration in advancing Nigeria’s fiscal governance and transparency agenda.
(FRC Media)
