Nigerian Sustainability Stakeholders Call for Local Context and Stronger Standards

Sustainability professionals in Nigeria want organisations to stop treating the field as a reporting exercise and build it into the way they make decisions. At an inaugural conference in Lagos, stakeholders called for stronger professional standards and practices shaped by local realities.

The hybrid event, organised by the Sustainability Professionals Institute of Nigeria, brought together sustainability professionals, business leaders, policymakers, investors and financial institutions. Under the theme “The Adaptive Enterprise: Sustainability Strategies for Challenging Times,” participants examined how organisations can remain resilient and create long-term value amid uncertainty.

The conference focused on moving sustainability beyond compliance. Participants discussed its integration into corporate strategy, governance, risk management, finance and leadership. The message was that meeting a standard alone should not be treated as a competitive advantage.

In his opening remarks, SPIN President Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi said Nigeria should not simply import frameworks developed elsewhere. “Let us not make sustainability another form of imperialism travelling around the world. We must contextualise it to meet our needs,” he said.

Amaeshi acknowledged that global standards have a role, but said their application must produce results relevant to Nigeria’s economic, institutional and social conditions. Kolawole Owodunni, the Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, delivered a keynote on behalf of NSIA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Aminu Umar-Sadiq. He presented uncertainty as the central challenge facing organisations.

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Let us not make sustainability another form of imperialism travelling around the world. We must contextualise it to meet our needs.