The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has been named the “Best Nigerian Governor in Internal Audit Transformation” by the Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria in appreciation and recognition of his significant transformation of the internal audit function in the State.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Governor at the Y2021 National Conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors held on Thursday at the Colonades Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, noted that the Administration considers auditors as strategic partners in the discharge of responsibilities to the public.

He said the State Government had to re-engineer the service delivery model being used in the face of changes occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Governor suggested the need for Internal Auditors to re-invent their role, especially in the face of cloud computing, where the data centre is outside the country and Artificial Intelligence is controlling operations.

While urging the Institute to initiate various training programmes that will enable members effectively undertake their responsibilities, Sanwo-Olu cited the impact of COVID-19 to include lifestyle and value systems changes that have negated the tenured job security due to technology advancements.

He averred that the State Government, as an employer of labour, had to re-engineer the service delivery model to ensure that the public service delivery systems remain top-notch, pointing out that the administration is committed to the professionalism of its workforce.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Internal Auditors, Nigeria, Mr. Humphrey Okorie, stated that the theme of the conference, “Navigating Uncertainties” was strategically chosen to get members into the right frame of mind and set the ball rolling in proffering solutions for effectively navigating the many uncertainties in organisations or places of work professionally.

He explained that the conference was another opportunity to bring members to the table to help organisations navigate through the maze of uncertainties.