Reps To Host 11th WAAPAC Conference

By Alkassim Bala Tsakuwa, Abuja

The Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts is set to host the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC) from September 8 to 12, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the WAAPAC Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.

WAAPAC was established in 2009 following a World Bank Institute seminar in partnership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Parliamentary Centre (PC). Legislatures from Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone participated in that historic session, resolving to create a sub-regional body that would strengthen parliamentary accountability through peer learning and knowledge sharing.

This year’s conference was themed “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees,”

It is expected to attract over 300 participants, including lawmakers, auditors, fiscal policy experts, and public finance professionals from across West Africa and beyond.

According to the organisers, the five-day event will focus on Building the capacity of PACs and Finance Committees for effective oversight of public debt and borrowing; Examining debt trends and risks in the region; Defining parliamentary roles in debt governance and Developing strategies to ensure debt sustainability.

They further informed that, the General Assembly will also deliberate on WAAPAC’s organizational growth and governance. The conference is expected to close with country-specific action plans to strengthen parliamentary oversight of public debt across West Africa.

Delegates will include Members of Public Accounts and Finance Committees, Parliamentary Staff, and Auditors-General from across the region, as well as representatives from eSwatini, Kenya, South Africa, and sister parliamentary networks such as AFROPAC and SADCOPAC.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Bamidele Salam, described Nigeria’s hosting of the conference as timely and significant.

“This conference provides a robust platform for learning, engagement, and experience-sharing among committees and key stakeholders. It will help advance fiscal responsibility and transparency across the sub-region,” he said.

Rep. Salam also confirmed that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, will officially declare the event open, while the Honourable Minister of Finance will deliver the keynote address. Dignitaries expected include the Chairpersons of WAAPAC and AFROPAC, alongside goodwill messages from the UNDP Country Director, global development partners, and sister parliamentary organizations.

He urged the Nigerian media to give the event wide coverage, describing it as an opportunity to showcase Nigeria as host of one of the most important parliamentary accountability conferences in Africa.

The 11th WAAPAC Conference is expected to set the stage for stronger legislative oversight and sustainable debt management practices across West Africa.