Two hundred and fifty-seven associates and one hundred and seventy-five graduates were today inducted into the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria, ICSAN.

They were inducted at the institute’s nineteenth Induction Ceremony in Lagos, while twenty-six fellows would be inducted on Friday.

The inductees were charged to be highly ethical and uncompromising as they go about their professional responsibilities going forward.

According to ICSAN President and Chairman In Council, Bode Ayeku, the inductees must always be steadfast in their commitment to ethical uprightness.

Ayeku also tasked the inductees to be the corporate governance conscience of the organisation they represented.

He said the skills and competencies of governance professional would always remain relevant irrespective of the mindboggling changes of the new world dominated by artificial intelligence, robots and internet of things.

According to him, the inductees formal admittance into the institute’s professional family opened a new vista and commencement of a lifelong project of continuous learning for self- nurturing and improvement.

He tasked them to discharge their responsibilities with a touch of excellence in order to live up to the coveted appellation.

In his word, the institute places a great premium on adherence to ethics in all ramifications, saying it has zero-tolerance for any act of ethical aberration, as any member found guilty of gross misconduct in defiance of dictates of ethics will have his or her certificate withdrawn and membership forfeited.

Ayeku implored new members to remain invariably steadfast in their commitment to ethical uprightness, saying it is part of the institute’s ethical injunction that new members should be the Corporate Governance Conscience of any organisation and establishment they find themselves.

He encouraged them to be resolute and display resilience in their professional journey and never involve in any act that would drag the institute or the country in the mud while it’s imperative for them to pursue the promotion of corporate governance in Nigeria.

“You are being inducted into a professional institute whose qualifications are recognised in more than seventy (70) countries of the world.

“For those being inducted as graduates today, I want to congratulate you for having made the right decision to start a journey that will take you to the Promised Land professionally.

“All you have to do is to keep moving resolutely forward, toiling with passion and courage to gather requisite experience and hope for success that normally accompanies self-sacrifice, hard work and diligence,’’ he said.

Ayeku, placing great premium on adherence to ethics, reiterated the institute’s zero tolerance for any act of ethical aberration.

‘Your formal admittance into the membership of ICSAN professional family today should be rightly construed as the beginning of a new journey. It opens a new vista and commencement of life-long project that is committed to continuous learning for self-nurturing and improvement.

‘We have consistently promoted the ideals of Corporate Governance through the periodic issuance of policy papers and Guidance materials on Corporate and Public Administration. Today as we are admitting you into the Graduate and Associate categories of ICSAN, we are conducting the due rite of passage through which you are being called to higher responsibilities, not only as professionals in governance field but also as ambassadors of the Institute.

‘At ICSAN, we are fully aware of the responsibilities that devolve on us as a champion of Corporate Governance and always strive to seize every opportunity to point out the ways good governance principles can be employed to solve our contemporary problems. It is this preoccupation with a practical approach to engaging governance challenges with time-tested and reliable principles of best practices that normally informs the choice of themes in our annual programs.

‘By being inducted today, you are gaining a slot into the membership of a reputable Institute that is adjudged a beacon of light worldwide as far as knowledge, skills and competencies in the Secretarial Practice, Administration and Corporate Governance are concerned, you are being inducted into a professional institute whose qualifications are recognised in more than 70 (seventy) countries of the world.

HERE IS THE ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED SECRETARIES AND ADMINISTRATORS OF NIGERIA (ICSAN), MR. BODE AYEKU, FCIS, AT THE 19TH INDUCTION OF THE INSTITUTE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020 AT THE MUSON CENTRE ONIKAN LAGOS.

The Vice President, Mr. Gbenga Owokalade, FCIS
Past Presidents of our great Institute
The Treasurer, Mr. Francis Olawale, FCIS
Our Guest Speaker, Prof. Deji Olanrewaju, ACIS
Presidents of other Professional Bodies
Council Members of ICSAN
Fellow Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
Inductees of today
Distinguished Guests
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I am happy to welcome you all to the 2020 Induction of our great Institute, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN). What we are doing today is in fulfilment of one of the cardinal purposes for which the Institute was established, which is the formal admission of eligible applicants into the membership of the Chartered Secretaryship profession.

Induction by a professional body is a formal admission of aspiring members of the professions into the membership fold, with all its inherent benefits and privileges, usually after a prescribed length of training.

ICSAN, by the ICSAN Act, Cap. I13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, has a mandate to set the standards of educational attainment and impart requisite professional knowledge into aspiring entrants into the profession.
The same Act empowers the Institute to admit various candidates, after rigorous training and practical experiences, into various cadres of membership of ICSAN. What we are doing today is the fulfilment of this statutory responsibilities.

The year’s induction is unique in many respects. To start with, this is the first time we are having Induction by hybrid format, that is by both physical and virtual methods. The reason for this is obvious as we are deferring to the authorities’ protocol on social distancing as a result of COVID 19 pandemic.

Secondly, this is also the first time we are having Induction of Graduates and Associates separate from the Induction of Fellows. The Induction of the new Fellows of the Institute will hold on Friday, November 20, 2020.

This practice of having a separate form of Induction for the Fellows of the Institute which the Governing Council of the Institute has found to be more appropriate and in tandem with the modern trend by top professional bodies globally, will henceforth be sustained.

I hereby warmly congratulate all the inductees of today for having undergone our strict and comprehensive professional training, and passed the examinations.

Today as we are admitting you into the Graduate and Associate categories of ICSAN, we are conducting the due rite of passage through which you are being called to higher responsibilities, not only as professionals in governance field but also as ambassadors of the Institute. Your induction symbolizes the successful crowning of your individual efforts in the quest to fulfill the educational requirements, qualifications and experience specified by the Institute.

Before I go on, permit me to share some brief information about the Institute for the sake of our guest and others who may have scanty knowledge about what ICSAN represents.
By way of brief introduction, ICSAN is a leading, statutorily established professional body, dedicated to enhancing the status and practice of Corporate Governance and Public Administration. It is the only professional body authorized in Nigeria to conduct the examinations leading to the qualification as Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Although ICSAN started in Nigeria in 1944 as an associate of the international body based in Britain, it elected its first president in 1966, about 54 years ago. ICSAN became Chartered by Decree 19 of 1991 (Now Act CAP I13 LFN 2004.

ICSAN is a member of the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA), a global organization originally registered in Geneva, but now in Hong Kong, and dedicated to developing the study / practice of Secretaryship and Administration to improve professional standards, the quality of governance practice and organizational performance. The Association is the global voice of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals.

The Institute is also an Affiliate Member of the African Corporate Governance Network (ACGN) which was formed to develop institutional members’ capacity for enhancing effective Corporate Governance Practices, building better organizations and corporate citizens in Africa.

Over the years, we have consistently promoted the ideals of Corporate Governance through periodic issuance of policy papers and Guidance materials on Corporate and Public Administration.
For the past 54 years that we have been in existence, we have regularly produced seasoned professionals who had contributed their quota to the nation’s economic advancement. Many of our members are at present occupying various responsible and enviable positions across the whole gamut of Nigeria’s socio-economic life.

At ICSAN, we are fully aware of the responsibilities that devolve on us as a champion of Corporate Governance and always strive to seize every opportunity to point out the ways good governance principles can be employed to solve our contemporary problems. It is this preoccupation with practical approach to engaging governance challenges with time-tested and reliable principles of best practices that normally informs the choice of themes in our annual programs.
For the past 54 years that we have been in existence, we have regularly produced seasoned professionals who had contributed their quota to the nation’s economic advancement. Many of our members are at present occupying various responsible and enviable positions across the whole gamut of Nigeria’s socio-economic life.
By being inducted today, you are gaining a slot into the membership of a reputable Institute that is adjudged a beacon of light worldwide as far as knowledge, skills and competencies in the Secretarial Practice, Administration and Corporate Governance are concerned. You are being inducted into a professional institute whose qualifications are recognized in more than 70 (seventy) countries of the world.

For those being inducted as Graduates today, I want to congratulate you for having made the right decision to start a journey that will take you to the promised land professionally. I can assure you that despite all the mind-boggling changes of the new world dominated by use of robots, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, the skill and competences of a governance professional will always remain relevant. All you have to do is to keep moving resolutely forward, toiling with passion and courage to gather requisite experience and hope for success that normally accompanies self-sacrifice, hard work and diligence.

To those of you being conferred with the Associate cadre, I felicitate with you for putting in the requisite dedication, sacrifice and unflagging commitment in pursuit of your dream and thereby earned yourself the coveted status of “a Chartered Secretary and Administrator” who of course are professionals reputed for profound expertise in the field of Corporate Governance and related fields.

Chartered Secretaries are highly skilled professionals who are respected for the depth of their knowledge, competences, versatility, mastery and adeptness in a broad range of fields including law, accounting, finance, management, governance and secretarial practices.

As a Chartered Secretary and Administrator, there are a lot that are expected from you by many stakeholders. At the organization where you work, associations you belong and on many other fronts in which you connect with people, you are naturally expected to invariably exhibit and manifest the attributes of a Chartered Secretary and Administrator. You must always strive to discharge your responsibilities with a touch of excellence in order to live up to the coveted appellation.

You must be proud of your profession. This is because if you are not proud of your profession, your profession cannot make you proud.

Be that at it may, your formal admittance into the membership of ICSAN professional family today should be rightly construed as a beginning of a new journey. It opens a new vista and commencement of life-long project that is committed to continuous learning for self-nurturing and improvement.

I will not only talk on responsibilities that now devolve on you as members of the Institute without touching the cardinal issue of ethics. I know most of you, if not all, already belong to some professions like law, accountancy, business administration, etc. Thus, you are well acquainted with what ethics connotes.

We place great premium on adherence to ethics at the Institute. Chartered Secretaries and Administrators are highly regarded professionals and this is a reputation we have jealously guarded over the years. Therefore, we have zero tolerance for any act of ethical aberration. Any member found guilty of gross misconduct in defiance of dictates of ethics will have his or her certificate withdrawn, and membership forfeited. We are committed to this principle without fear or favor, no matter whose ox is gored!

So, I will implore you to remain invariably steadfast in your commitment to ethical uprightness. It is part of our ethical injunction that you should be the Corporate Governance Conscience of any organisation and establishment you find yourself.

In the Induction Lecture you will hear today, entitled “Charting a course for the Chartered Secretary and Administrator in the present dispensation: Issues for Consideration” which will be delivered by a reputable, amiable, cross breed, receptive and renowned legal scholar and Corporate Governance specialist, Prof. Deji Olanrewaju, the Dean of the School of Law and Securities Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, the strategic role of Chartered Secretary and Administrator in the socio-economic development of a nation in these period and times will not only be highlighted. We will also be given deep insight into a world of opportunities and possibilities that abound in the profession. We only need to be informed, aware and diligent to be able to tap into this promising goldmine of governance field.

I will enjoin you to please listen attentively during the lecture so as to derive maximum benefit from it.

I am glad to inform you that Membership of the Institute with which you are being conferred today, has attached to it many benefits. These include the followings:

Right to vote and be voted for at the Institute’s Annual General Meetings; you can also volunteer to work in any Committee of the Institute for which you have capacity and experience and you may, in future, seek election into the Governing Council itself.

The right to attend all the Institute’s programs like Annual Conferences, Annual Public Lecture, Mandatory Continuous Professional Education (MCPE), Roundtable on Corporate Governance etc. at a discounted rate vis-à-vis amount payable by non-members.

Access to educational materials and learning tools, including informative and enlightening resources in the library.
Privilege to join the ICSAN members WhatsApp platform from today which provides opportunities for you to network and seek advice on any controversial professional issues, free of charge

Access to regular notifications on vacancies for jobs in diverse sectors of the economy. I have the pleasure to add that many of our Members have already taken advantage of this opportunities offered by these privileged notifications.

Right to Life Assurance Scheme which is available to all financially up-to-date members.

Last but not the least is the right to apply for the Practice Licence granted by the Institute which empowers the grantee to set a up a public practice firm and operate as an independent Corporate Secretarial and Governance Professional in Public Practice.

I encourage all of you to participate in the Train-The-Trainer program that the Institute is currently running with the main aim of training and certifying our members to conduct Board Evaluation and Corporate Governance Evaluation, which are new opportunities that the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018 have provided our members.

If you have not registered for the program, do so immediate so that you can start prospecting Board and Corporate Governance evaluation jobs from public interest entities which are mandatorily required to be externally validated once every three years, starting from financial year ending 2021.

On your own part as members, the Institute will also rely upon your passionate commitment and dedication through regular payment of your annual subscription and participation in the Institute’ programs.

Thus, I will enjoin all categories of Inductees that you should pay your annual subscriptions starting from your 2020 subscription today (if not already paid), and subsequently as and when due, to facilitate the Institute’s works in pursuit of her objectives. You are similarly enjoined to participate in all the Institute’s activities.

I urge you to take full advantage of our well-established annual series of educative and enlightening programme and events of the Institute, such Annual Conferences, Annual Public Lecture, Governance Practitioners Days, Round Table on Corporate Governance, Companies Secretaries and Registrars’ Forum etc. Beyond the opportunity for knowledge and skills acquisition that attendance at the events and programs offer is the equally important opportunity for networking among top professionals,

In addition to aforementioned programs, I will solemnly enjoin you to participate in the Institute’s Mandatory Continuing Professional Education programme (MCPE) which opens endless doors of opportunity for learning and capacity building. Apart from this obvious advantage, participation in MCPE is also a pre-requisite for upgrade into higher cadre of membership of the Institute.

Corporate Governance Platform on MITV Television Station In order to enlighten the public on the provisions of the Nigerian Corporate Governance Code 2018 (NCCG) and the benefits of the entrenchment of best corporate governance to businesses, ICSAN has started the Corporate Governance Platform on MITV Television Station every Thursday between 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm. This is in addition to our ongoing Radio program on Eko FM 89.7 FM every Wednesday between 10.15 am and 10.30 am.

I want to congratulate all of you once again, on the special occasion of your induction as Graduates and Associates of our Institute.

Thank you all.

Bode Ayeku, FCIS
President/ Chairman of Council, ICSAN