Public financial management was a critical issue in Nigeria with regards to transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the management of the government's financial resources. For many years, the Nigerian public sector had been experiencing problems in the management of its financial resources due to financial leakages and corruption.

Treasury Single Account (TSA) refers to an arrangement of the government’s bank accounts where all the government's financial resources are consolidated into one single account at the central bank. The implementation of this policy started in 2015 in Nigeria.Ever since TSA was introduced, it has been recognized as one of the methods through which transparency in government expenditure in managing finances has been made known. Studies have proven that the adoption of this policy has immensely reduced the leakage of government revenue, and as it has increased government control over the public finance, it has been a step towards enhancing accountability by providing timely information on the government's cash balance. This allows for informed decision-making (Olaoye & Adebisi, 2025).

TSA has become a possible means through which budget implementation can become better and reduce the government borrowing since funds that remained dormant in the bank accounts have been unified. According to another study conducted recently, TSA has introduced a new approach to financial reporting and has made it difficult for corruption to prevail in government agencies (Ibrahim & Hassan, 2025).

However, the implementation of TSA still faces many obstacles such as opposition from government agencies, inefficiency, and technical issues. Opponents of TSA believe that the imposition of TSA will make government agencies lose financial autonomy, which may lead to bureaucracy. Therefore, it becomes imperative to analyze how TSA has played a role in improving transparency in the Nigerian public sector.

Statement of the Problem

Before the establishment of the Treasury Single Account, the Nigerian financial system was made up of numerous accounts managed by various MDAs in the government system. The presence of these different accounts made it hard for the government to monitor its income and expenditure, hence the high levels of financial leakage and corruption.

While TSA was established to solve these problems, it is still uncertain whether it will be able to promote full transparency. While some scholars claim that it has been successful in boosting accountability, others indicate some problems, such as fund disbursement delay and inefficiency (Olaoye & Adebisi, 2025).

Furthermore, there is little empirical data on the success of TSA in meeting its goals, especially increasing transparency and fighting corruption. Some governmental institutions have also raised the issue of financial rigidity and bureaucratic processes under TSA.

The contradictory opinions about the role of TSA in improving transparency make it unclear whether it will be effective in promoting the process in Nigeria. This research will investigate the effectiveness of the Treasury Single Account in fostering transparency in the Nigerian financial system.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The central goal of this research is to examine the role played by the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in enhancing transparency in Nigeria. More specifically, the following specific objectives have been set out:

i) To investigate the effect of TSA on transparency in public financial management.

ii) To determine the effectiveness of TSA in minimizing financial leakages.

iii) To analyze the problems encountered in the implementation of TSA.

iv) To examine the link between TSA and accountability.

1.4 Research Questions

This research aims to answer these questions:

1. In what ways has TSA contributed to transparency in the public sector of Nigeria?

2. How much has TSA helped to minimize the unauthorized use of government funds?

3. What are the difficulties encountered in the implementation of TSA?

4. Does the data show a strong connection between TSA and accountability within government bodies?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The current research has importance in many aspects. Firstly, it will offer an extensive evaluation of the efficacy of TSA in ensuring transparency in the public sector in Nigeria. Secondly, it will aid decision-makers and public sector authorities in analyzing the policy’s pros and cons.

Moreover, the research will be useful for scholars and academics because it will add to the existing academic knowledge regarding public financial management reform policies. Furthermore, the study will facilitate policy implementation by highlighting some of its challenges and offering recommendations for its improvement.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study centers on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the TSA in fostering transparency in Nigeria. This will be done by analyzing its effects on public financial management, accountability, and financial leakages. The research is restricted to selected government MDAs until 2025.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

Limitations that could be encountered include access to financial records from government agencies because of privacy concerns. Furthermore, the bureaucratic process might prevent the acquisition of needed data for the study. Financial and time constraints can also influence the study’s extent.