A delegation from the Committee of Heads of Internal Audits of Nigerian Universities visited Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology on Thursday July 24, for a benchmarking exercise. The team was in the country to learn about the audit experience in Kenya’s higher education.
Dr. Woko Imenwo Boniface, Director of Audit, University of Port Harcourt, and Chairman of the Committee said the visit to JKUAT was motivated by the solid governance framework that had enabled the institution to emerge as one of the top universities in Africa.
“We have come to share ideas and exchange knowledge on global standards and best practices regarding internal audit issues,” Said Dr. Woko.
Dr. Woko noted that as agents of accountability, internal auditors often face the difficult task of professionally discharging their mandate in an extremely political environment where management of some universities wish to pursue agendas that are not aligned to effective mandate delivery.
Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management Department at JKUAT, Dr. David Kimani noted that the unit provides independent, objective assurance and advisory services aimed at improving operational efficiency, risk management, internal controls, and governance.
Dr. Kimani showcased JKUAT’s internal audit experience touching on key pillars such as regulation. workflows, and reporting systems. He noted the practices are guided by Kenya’s Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) 2012 and the Institute of Internal Auditors’ International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF), all which have enabled JKUAT audit team to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethics.
In order to maintain audit independence at JKUAT, the Internal Audit Office functionally reports to the Risk Committee of the University Council while administratively, the office reports to the Vice Chancellor.
Dr. Woko noted that the JKUAT experience is a significant departure from the situation obtaining in many Nigerian universities where the independence of the Audit offices is tenuous. He said the learning experiences will inform policy advisory to aid changes in national legal framework in Nigeria to better facilitate independence and effectiveness of the Audit offices.
On the other hand, Dr. Kimani called for stronger cooperation among audit offices in African universities as a way of facilitating learning and experience sharing which can then be used to strengthen performance of African universities.
