Nigerian Journal of Banking and Financial Issues (NJBFI)

LEVERAGING ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION FOR SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC FINANCIAL REPORTING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Studies indicated that many foreign public institutions have successfully navigated Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology to enhance their financial reporting practices. This study investigates how RPA could be leveraged to achieve sustainable public financial reporting in Nigeria. The study uses a survey design and employs primary data obtained from respondents via social media using a structured online questionnaire. A purposeful stratified sampling strategy was used to select 276 participants, which included 138 public financial experts and 138 IT specialists in the Nigerian public services. Means, frequency distribution and standard deviation were used for data analysis. Findings reveal a positive trend toward the integration of RPA technology into public financial reporting system in Nigeria. Most of the respondents believed there are institutional alignments in place to assist RPA integration. The study reveals that lack of political will and deficiencies in the infrastructure could skew the shift and jeopardize the efficacy and sustainability of automated systems. This research concludes that public sector in Nigeria demonstrates readiness in terms of awareness-raising and strategic planning. The study recommends that government should embark on capacity building as an institutional priority by establish a nationwide digital training center for public works on RPA in Nigeria.