Abstract:

Management of public funds includes all governmental effort to ensure effective and efficient collection, recording and disbursement of all public financial resources. Moreover, it is also expected that information concerning these should be made available to the general public from whom the funds are generated. The present Nigeria state, however, is lagging behind in these essential public expectations of transparency and accountability. The citizens seem to lack conscious awareness of way and manner the country's treasury is being managed by those to whom they have entrusted it (the government and its officials). One of the very crucial tool for promoting accountability and transparency in the conduct of government business and management of the public financial resources is the “open government.” This paper, therefore, examines how instrumental open government adoption can enhance accountability and transparency in public finance management in Nigeria. Secondary data are sourced to achieve the objectives of this study. The study reveals that the adoption of e-government by some government agencies in Nigeria has significantly enhanced collection and management of public funds, fostered transparency and mitigated corruption in the country. Furthermore, the study shows that open government can be a very effective measure to correct abnormalities and malpractices that surrounds management of public treasury in Nigeria. The study therefore strongly recommends adoption of open government by all the government ministries, departments and agencies throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as this will promote a corruption-free administration, which is the goal of the present administration, and will also increase public confidence and participation in the government activities.