ICSAN President champions legacy of excellence, corporate governance
L: R Registrar/CEO of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Mr. Babatunde Oladipo Okuneye, ACIS, Hon. Treasurer of ICSAN, Mr. Francis Olawale, FCIS, President of ICSAN, Mrs. Funmi Ekundayo, FCIS, Chairman, Publicity and Advocacy Committee of ICSAN, Mrs. Nkechi Onyenso, FCIS, Past President of ICSAN, Mr. Samuel Kolawole, FCIS during the 4th Presidential Press Parley held on Wednesday in Lagos.
ICSAN President champions legacy of excellence, corporate governance
Nike Popoola
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), on Wednesday, reflected on giant strides in the last two years as its outgoing 29th President and Chairman of Council, Mrs. Funmi Ekundayo, emphasized its continued commitment to corporate governance.
She spoke during a press briefing ahead of the official investiture of the 30th President and Vice President of ICSAN. The upcoming event is scheduled to hold on the 23rd of July, 2025, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.
In her address, Mrs. Ekundayo, who is the Institute’s first female president, expressed profound gratitude to God and the ICSAN community, as she prepares to hand over leadership.
She reflected on her tenure with a deep sense of fulfillment and optimism about the future of the Institute. “I leave with a deep sense of gratitude, pride, and hope,” she said. “My overarching legacy will be one of passionate service, institutional consolidation, and purposeful continuity.”
Mrs. Ekundayo highlighted that her administration built upon the solid foundation laid by her predecessors, while also innovating to meet the evolving demands of the profession and society.
She emphasized that good governance is a continuous journey that requires courageous leadership, ethical values, and relentless pursuit of excellence, qualities she believes the incoming administration possesses.
Speaking on some of its activities in the last two years, she said, “Through all our education and training programs, ICSAN has continued to build capacity of individuals and also organizations. We advocate policy reforms. We’ve been visiting public sector leaders, we’ve made stakeholder engagements to different Honorable Ministers of the Federation, regulators, and this is in our quest to continue to influence policy positively and in line with corporate governance,
“The Institute has laid a very strong foundation for our N3.5bn new Secretariat project, and part of what we want to enhance with this project is to strengthen corporate governance, to enhance professional development and also to provide a hub for professionalism and knowledge exchange, and also policy discussions.*
Addressing the broader national context, Mrs. Ekundayo noted the resilience of the Nigerian economy despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges such as inflation, unemployment, and infrastructure deficits.
She called on the government to intensify efforts to diversify the economy beyond crude oil dependence and to ensure the continuity of reforms aimed at fostering inclusive growth.
“The services sector, particularly finance, telecommunications, and trade, remains a critical engine for economic expansion. The reforms already in motion will take time to yield results, but the signs of traction are becoming evident,” she noted, while also stressing the need for decisive action on insecurity.
Mrs. Ekundayo urged ICSAN members, students, and stakeholders to uphold the core values of the Institute: ethics, professionalism, diligence, and service to society. She reaffirmed her confidence in ICSAN’s continued relevance and excellence in the years ahead.
