Empowering Citizens Through Fiscal Clarity

Fiscal Responsibility Advocacy Network (FRAN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing sound public financial management, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability across Nigeria. The Foundation champions reforms that strengthen governance at federal, state, and local government levels by promoting compliance with fiscal laws, financial reporting standards, and internationally recognized best practices. Through evidence-based advocacy, research, training, and technical assistance, FRAN works to build institutions that can manage public resources more effectively, ensuring greater trust, discipline, and impact in the use of public funds.

Country Chief Executive: Cecil Chinedum Onyekwere, ACA, PhD.

Policy Analysis and Research Division: Benny Omughele, Hauwa Saleh.

Visual Analytics & Creative Design: Adebola Adewunmi, Cedric Onyekwere, Shehu Ahmad.

Editor: Eucharia Onyekwere, PhD, CITP, LNSPS, MCPN, MNCS, MPAIDEF

Legal Adviser: Hawa Saleh, BL, LLB, DIL.

Email:

Contact

Address: Suite 2, Block E, Gimbia Court Estate, 1 Gwarjo Close, Off Gimbiya Street, Area 11, Garki, FCT Nigeria

Profile Summary

Country Chief Executive

Dr. Cecil Chinedum Onyekwere, ACA, is a Chartered Accountant and accomplished scholar whose career spans public financial management, economic policy, and fiscal governance. He completed his secondary education at Grays International College, Kaduna (2004–2010), after which he commenced his higher education journey in the United Kingdom. In 2011, he enrolled at the University of Exeter, where he obtained a Certificate in Management, Accounting, and Economics with distinction. He proceeded to the University of Manchester, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Accounting and Economics, a Master of Arts in Economics, and subsequently a Master of Science in Economics.

Dr. Onyekwere completed his doctoral studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics with a specialization in Fiscal Decentralization. His doctoral research contributed to the growing body of literature on intergovernmental fiscal relations and the design of fiscal frameworks in emerging economies. Complementing his academic qualifications, he obtained an Advanced Certificate in Management Training from the Centre for Management Development (CMD), Abuja, further reinforcing his professional grounding in organizational and public sector management.

In his professional capacity, Dr. Onyekwere served as Principal Programme and Research Officer at Mold Treasury Academy. In this role, he led the conceptualization, design, and deployment of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) in several states and local government areas, a flagship reform initiative aimed at modernizing Nigeria’s public financial management architecture. The project significantly advanced fiscal transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency, aligning state and local government financial practices with global standards and strengthening compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

His scholarly and professional interests converge on the interface between accounting, economics, and governance. He has developed recognized expertise in financial accounting, IPSAS-compliant reporting, budget formulation and execution, and the application of data analytics in fiscal decision-making. Furthermore, his work extends into the design and implementation of electronic payment systems, where he has contributed to platforms integrated with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), and the strategic objectives outlined in Nigeria’s Payment Vision 2030 framework.

Dr. Onyekwere continues to combine his academic research with practical engagements in fiscal reform, making significant contributions to policy debates, institutional capacity building, and the advancement of sustainable public financial management in Nigeria and beyond.