Auditor General with cross section of Audit Service staff
One year following his parliamentary approval as Auditor-General on July 17, 2025, Mr. Abdul Aziz has spearheaded significant institutional transformation at the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL). He had previously served as acting Auditor-General for almost four years before being officially appointed to the substantive role by the President on July 3, 2025.
His leadership has been characterised by a strong commitment to strengthening public sector auditing, improving the ASSL’s institutional capacity, embracing innovation, and enhancing stakeholder engagement both nationally and internationally.
Since assuming office, the Auditor-General has championed reforms aimed at positioning the ASSL as a modern, efficient, and globally respected Supreme Audit Institution.
*Strengthening Institutional Capacity*
Because institutional effectiveness relies on workforce expertise, the Auditor General has made staff development a top priority. In the past year, ASSL significantly broadened training opportunities, allowing employees to elevate their technical skills across financial, compliance, performance, and information systems audit through capacity building support provided by the European Union and the World Bank in diverse areas such as environmental audit, information systems audit, and stakeholder engagement.
Furthermore, his administration has strengthened the institution by recruiting experts in specialized disciplines such as Information Systems Audit, Civil Engineering, Procurement, ICT, Law and other critical support functions. These strategic hires have significantly improved ASSL’s ability to address the growing complexities inherent in public sector auditing and fulfill the Auditor-General’s mandate
The organization has established new operational divisions that are designed to optimize efficiency, strengthen service delivery, and accommodate its broadening mandate.
One of the notable achievements under the leadership of Mr. Abdul Aziz has been his commitment to staff development and career progression within the ASSL.
His administration has built a robust culture of career progression by funding educational and merit-based trainings. This approach empowers junior staff to transition into professional roles. Notable success stories include Administrative Assistants advancing to become Auditors and an IEC Officer, alongside a former Night Watchman and a Driver who have both successfully transitioned into Auditor positions. These success stories reflect the institution’s commitment to recognizing potential, rewarding hard work, and investing in its workforce. They also demonstrate the Auditor-General’s vision of building a motivated, competent, and professional team capable of effectively delivering the mandate of the Audit Service Sierra Leone.
By prioritizing people, we inspire our workforce, guarantee equal opportunities, and build a stronger institution with clear routes for professional and personal development.
*Driving Digital Transformation*
During his first year as Auditor-General, Mr. Abdul Aziz has spearheaded a comprehensive digital transformation programme aimed at modernising the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) into a technology-driven and future-ready Supreme Audit Institution.
Through World Bank support, a major achievement has been the successful implementation of the SierraSEAT Audit Management Information System, which has digitised the entire audit process, improved collaboration, strengthened quality assurance, and enhanced the efficiency and consistency of audit delivery.
ASSL has also begun transitioning to Data-Led Auditing, enabling auditors to use advanced data analytics to detect risks, identify fraud indicators, analyse large datasets, and produce more evidence-based audit findings. This initiative supports continuous auditing and more effective risk-based audit planning.
To improve accountability, the institution introduced the Audit Follow-up Tracker System, which monitors the implementation of audit recommendations by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), ensuring greater transparency and stronger follow-up on corrective actions.
The digital transformation has been supported by significant investments in modern ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital governance, and staff capacity building through SierraSEAT training, Digital Champions programmes, and change management initiatives.
ASSL is advancing its capabilities by developing an Artificial Intelligence Adoption Plan to enhance audit planning, data analytics, fraud detection, and institutional productivity while maintaining ethical standards and human oversight. Under Mr. Aziz’s forward-looking leadership, ASSL has partnered with the New York State Comptroller to implement international best practices on AI governance.
Overall, these initiatives have laid a strong foundation for a modern, innovative, and digitally enabled ASSL, strengthening audit quality, transparency, accountability, and institutional effectiveness.
*Strengthening the Legal and Regulatory Framework*
The Auditor General has driven vital reforms to strengthen the Audit Service’s legal framework. In his first year, the institution developed and enacted the Audit Service Regulations 2024, which provide essential clarity for its operations while boosting governance and accountability. Furthermore, Mr. Aziz has spearheaded the active enforcement of the Disallowance and Surcharge mechanism, ensuring that financial irregularities and the misuse of public funds face strict legal penalties.
To ensure the effective implementation of the Disallowance and Surcharge (D&S) mechanism, the ASSL has launched several key initiatives. These include conducting technical missions to the Supreme Audit Institutions of Ghana and South Africa, as well as establishing an internal committee tasked with creating standards and guidelines to strategically drive the process. This committee will provide strategic direction, under a structured roadmap designed to achieve the full-scale rollout of the D&S mechanism in the near future.
*Building Strong Partnerships*
To elevate transparency and good governance, the Auditor-General of Sierra Leone has strategically expanded partnerships across national and international levels. This collaborative vision has unlocked vital technical and developmental support, empowering the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) to build institutional capacity and strengthen its daily operations.
Building on this momentum, formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have established alliances with key national accountability institutions:
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC): Drives tangible, corrective action on audit findings.
National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA): Ensures fairness and compliance in government contracting.
Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC): Guarantees citizen access to public and financial records.
National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NaMEA): Strictly tracks the execution of public funds and development outcomes.
A defining milestone in this era of collaborative governance is the landmark Memorandum of Understanding signed between the ASSL and the Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI). This strategic alliance unites the supreme auditing power of the ASSL with SLEITI’s specialized mandate, providing robust oversight and ensuring lasting credibility in the reporting of Sierra Leone’s natural resources.
*Promoting Constructive Engagement with Auditees*
To transform how auditors and public institutions collaborate, Auditor-General Mr. Abdul Aziz launched regular breakfast meetings for MDAs and parastatals. Moving beyond traditional financial auditing, these sessions provide an open dialogue where institutions can clarify audit queries, resolve operational challenges, and work together to improve financial accountability and service delivery.
*Citizens Participatory Audit Process*
Over the past year, the ASSL pioneered a powerful new approach by empowering citizens to take part in the audit process. Rather than being passive observers, the public now plays a critical role in audit planning by highlighting community concerns and directing auditors to the areas where oversight is needed most.
Under the leadership of the Auditor General, the ASSL has driven nationwide citizen engagement across all districts, prioritizing hard-to-reach locations like Falaba and Bonthe Island. This initiative empowers locals to highlight pressing community issues for inclusion in future audits, deepening public participation in governance and ensuring audit work reflects the lived realities of everyday Sierra Leoneans. In sum, the ASSL has moved from “auditing for the people” to “auditing with the people”.
*=Strengthening Media and Civil Society Partnerships*
Emphasizing the importance of public awareness in driving accountability, the Auditor-General has actively strengthened the ASSL’s partnerships with the media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Through structured press briefings and strategic information sharing, the institution has successfully improved public comprehension of its audit findings.
Similarly, partnerships with CSOs have expanded considerably, with CSOs now playing a greater role in citizen engagement activities, advocacy, and promoting the implementation of audit recommendations. The CSOs are now taking the lead in ensuring that auditees are implementing audit recommendations.
*Increased Donor Confidence*
The Auditor-General has introduced a service delivery-focused audit methodology to evaluate how public entities perform against national development plans and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This citizen-centric approach has garnered strong praise from both the public sector and the donor community.
Consequently, international organizations such as the African Development Bank (ADB), the Global Fund (GF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Bank now regularly partner with the ASSL to audit major donor programs or projects across the country. These partners trust the ASSL to deliver practical recommendations that improve operational efficiency and address administrative weaknesses.
*Raising Sierra Leone’s International Profile*
Mr. Abdul Aziz, the Auditor-General of Sierra Leone, was officially elected as Vice Chairperson of the AFROSAI-E Governing Board during its 22nd meeting in Liberia. Serving alongside Chairperson Nancy Gathungu of Kenya, his election is a major milestone that solidifies the ASSL’s credibility and highlights continental trust in his leadership. This key appointment elevates Sierra Leone’s standing in public financial management and enhances the nation’s influence in regional accountability institutions.
He also serves as a Member of the African Professionalisation Initiative (API) Governing Council and as a Board Member of the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management (ICGFM), further strengthening global public financial management.
During the year, ASSL hosted Madam Meisie Nkau, Chief Executive Officer of AFROSAI-E, reinforcing collaboration with the continental audit body while showcasing Sierra Leone’s growing leadership in public sector auditing.
ASSL further demonstrated its growing regional influence by hosting a communication team from the Supreme Audit Institution of Zimbabwe on a study visit to learn from Sierra Leone’s communication and stakeholder engagement practices.
The institution also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Supreme Audit Institution of India, creating new opportunities for professional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and institutional development.
In another notable achievement, the Audit Service Sierra Leone received the prestigious AFROSAI-E Anti-Money Laundering Impact Award, recognising the institution’s outstanding contribution to strengthening accountability through impactful audit work- through its performance audits portfolio.
*Looking Ahead*
As Mr. Abdul Aziz marks his first anniversary as Auditor-General, the achievements recorded during the past year reflect a clear commitment to institutional reform, innovation, transparency, and international collaboration.
From strengthening staff capacity and expanding public participation to embracing digital technologies and enhancing Sierra Leone’s international reputation, his leadership has laid a solid foundation for a stronger, more responsive, and more effective Audit Service Sierra Leone.
Through ongoing reforms and strategic partnerships, the institution is well positioned to advance public financial accountability, strengthen good governance, and meaningfully contribute to Sierra Leone’s national development goals.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 20th July 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
