Female accountants body marks 40th anniversary

The Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) has marked its 40th anniversary.The society aims to bring together women in the accountancy profession, assist the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in the protection of the charter, status, interests of its female members as well as promote and maintain high standards of efficiency and professional conduct without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing.

The anniversary, marked recently at the ICAN Center, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, had a career talk on the chartered accountant’s opportunities and roles in society. The SWAN brought pupils from different secondary schools, including private ones. The career talk is given to enlighten students on their choice of Accountantcy

SWAN also has a scholarship fund to support the indigent and brilliant Accountancy students in tertiary institutions.SWAN played a foremost role in initiating the International Federation of Women Accountants (IFWA) which was inaugurated in Paris in 1997. The Africa chapter was inaugurated in Abuja in 1995. The pioneer president of IFWA Africa chapter is Princess Agnes Adenike Adeniran. She is one of SWAN’s grand patrons and a past president of ICAN.

Speaking at the event, the chairperson, Mrs. Folake Onabolu, said Nigerian youths should not sit at home looking for admissions. Instead, that they can get involved in the Accounting Technicians Scheme of West Africa ATSWA which enables them get direct admissions in any university of their choice in and in the sub-region.

She added: “Everyone needsto be an accountant. When people cannot account for anything, it kills trust. We go as far as teaching market women to be accountants for their business.”