ICSAN tasks professionals with driving corporate change

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) has called upon governance professionals across the country to move beyond traditional administrative roles and spearhead transformative reforms in both public and private sectors.

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This ceremony is so much more than a formal confirmation, as it represents your initiation into a profession of the highest degree and an indispensable position in the governance architecture of any organisation.

During the institute's 25th induction ceremony in Lagos, where 224 graduates and 445 associates were admitted, ICSAN President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mrs. Uto Ukpanah, stressed that Nigeria's current economic climate demands more than passive clerical work. She urged the newly inducted professionals to view themselves as vital stakeholders in rebuilding institutional resilience.

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As chartered secretaries and administrators, you are called not merely to witness leadership but to influence it, not merely to observe governance but to strengthen it, and not merely to administer systems but to help transform them.

Ukpanah stated that while infrastructure and technological advancements are crucial for modernization, they are incomplete without an ethical foundation. She emphasized that ethical leadership inspires trust, strengthens institutions, and ensures sustainable peace, urging members to act as custodians of transparency.

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While physical infrastructure may drive economic activity and technology fuels innovation, it is ethical leadership that inspires trust, strengthens institutions and guarantees sustainable peace.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Veronica Ekundayo from Babcock University challenged conventional metrics of national progress. She argued that true growth cannot be solely measured by GDP if the internal structures of corporate and public entities are compromised. Ekundayo asserted that national development should be evaluated by the quality of institutions, the strength of the rule of law, and the trustworthiness of records. She also warned that academic and technical qualifications are meaningless without unwavering ethical behavior, stating that integrity is the hallmark of a great Chartered Company Secretary.

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National development should be measured not only by GDP, but by the quality of institutions, the strength of the rule of law, and the trustworthiness of corporate and public records.