A delegation of the African Association of Accountants General (AAAG) participated at the 8th Africa Congress of Accountants (ACOA 2025) held in Kigali, Rwanda from 6 to 9 May 2025. The delegation, led by Ms Malehlohonolo Mahase, AAAG Chairperson and Accountant General of the Kingdom of Lesotho, also comprised of other Accountants General, namely, Mr Jean Baptista Sande (Rwanda), Ms Taina Nankela (Namibia), Mr Jona Wala (Kenya), and Mr Edwin Zvandasara, (Zimbabwe). Others included Mr Steven Ojiambo and Mr. Abbas Addow representing the Accountant General of Uganda and Somalia, respectively. A team from the AAAG Secretariat, led by Mr Fredrick Riaga, AAAG CEO, also joined the AGs at the Summit which brought together more than 2,000 professional accountants from across the continent and the globe to shape the future of the accountancy profession.
AAAG also held a series of strategic engagements to support integrated Public Financial Management. Ms. Mahase presented AAAG’s priorities for strengthening public financial management, highlighting the pivotal role of Accountants General in addressing systemic weaknesses.
Speaking at one of conference sessions, she emphasized that adopting accrual-based IPSAS is a fundamental step for countries seeking to strengthen financial governance, manage public resources more efficiently, and achieve sustainable development.
Rwanda’s Accountant General, Mr Jean Baptista Sande, shared a remarkable success story of transformation in public financial management. In 2024, his office achieved a 92% rate of unqualified (clean) audit opinions across more than 200 public-sector entities; a milestone that underscores the country’s unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. Central to this success is Rwanda’s nationwide rollout of an in-house Integrated Financial Management Information System, which now underpins every stage of the government’s accounting and PFM operations. At the same time, Rwanda has become one of the few countries to fully adopt International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), further elevating the credibility of its financial reporting.
AAAG’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Fredrick Riaga, called on governments to strengthen the role played by the Offices of the Accountants General as strategic advisors on financial and fiscal matters. He noted: “Every policy decision carries a financial implication, and early involvement of the Accountant General is the surest way to guarantee its fiscal viability and reinforce sound governance”.