By Gloria Nwafor

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; state governors, among other dignitaries, are expected to attend the grand fundraiser for the N3.5 billion new national secretariat of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).

Slated to be held on Monday April 14, 2025, at Abuja Continental Hotel, the institute said the event is geared towards realising one of the dreams of its founding fathers, which is to have a befitting multipurpose national secretariat building.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Honourary Treasurer and Vice President-designate, ICSAN, Francis Olawale, said the new project is expected to cost about N3.5 billion, even as the institute is using the fundraiser to attract the bulk of the money.

Noting that the gathering was for ICSAN members and non-members, he said the CBN chief, Cardoso, and FCT Minister Wike would serve as chairman of the occasion and special guest of honor, respectively, while the chief host at the event is the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the institute, Funmi Ekundayo.

Speaking further, Olawale said the institute, established in 1966, was one of the leading professional bodies in Nigeria and a leading voice on corporate governance and public administration.

He said the journey for a new secretariat began precisely on July 5, 2024, with the turning of the sod ceremony that formally signified the commencement of the project.

He said this was followed up later this year, with the symbolic foundation-laying ceremony on March 26.

Olawale said when completed, the ultra-modern design which seats on land measuring approximately 3,500 square meters, in Central Business District, Alausa, Lagos, with three floors, conference rooms, and offices, would not only enhance the aesthetic quality of the Alausa Business District Area but also serve as a befitting national secretariat for the institute.

According to him, “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 authorised in Nigeria to conduct the examinations leading to the qualification as chartered secretaries and administrators.”

Olawale added that other personalities expected at the event include members of the National Assembly, ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, members of the Diplomatic Corp, heads of government agencies, and captains of industries, among others.