Muslim Professional Accountants Association of Nigeria (MPAAN) has lent support to the economic diversification embarks upon by the federal government.
In its 8th Annual Ramadan Lecture held in Lagos at the weekend, the body said the gains from agricultural revolution by the government have shown that Nigeria’s economy would be great if other sectors could be given priority.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘Accountants and the Nation Building’.
The guest lecturer, Mr Saheed Lasisi, listed agriculture as the main priority sector. Other sectors that need government attention, he said, are manufacturing, tourism, creative industries and ICT.
Lasisi, the General Manager of Sifax Group, said the government could still do more on agriculture by the integrated transformation of the sector.
He said: “The integrated transformation of the agriculture sector can be done by boosting the productivity of the crop and other sub-sectors (including fisheries, forestry, and livestock) and integrating the value chain and improving access to markets.
“Government should also facilitate access to inputs, financing and extension services and by setting up a one-stop shop for small farmers and commercial farms (one per local government) to encourage the use of high-yield and disease-resistant seedlings.”
Lasisi urged Muslim accountants to be firm and be truthful as epitomised by Islamic teachings. Muslim accountants, he said, should play their role well in nation-building.
He said: “Chartered accountants constitute the first layer of vigil mechanism for the audits of the government accounts and other corporate bodies. Accountants should ensure that all the applicable laws are complied with before the financial statements are out.
“Accountants should help the government in revenue collection and find out fraud if any committed by entities,” he said.
MPAAN Amir (President) Mallam Abdulmumin Muhibdeen, said the body was set up to protect the right of Muslim accountants and to encourage true professional practice as preached by Islam.
He said after many years of struggling and bureaucratic bottlenecks, the organisation has obtained his certificate of registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
He said: “I use this occasion to thank Allah for the successful registration of Muslim Professional Accountants Association of Nigeria after almost eight years of struggling. I also use this medium to congratulate the newly elected ICAN President, Alhaji Abdurazaq Jayeola who has been a pillar of support since the beginning. We pray that Allah to support him to discharge his duty well.”