Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria; Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno; and his Lagos counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among notable personalities, have felicitated with Uto Ukpanah as the new President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).

They congratulated her during her investiture as the 30th President and Chairman of the Governing Council of ICSAN, commending her for her exceptional competence in corporate governance pursuits in Nigeria.

Chairman of MTN Nigeria and Chief Executive Officer, Ernest Ndukwe and Karl Toriola, respectively, said Uto’s expertise and competence in corporate governance have earned her recognition.

Toriola described her as an exceptional individual who brings competence, professionalism, and wisdom to the MTN board as Company Secretary.

“So we are particularly proud that she served 20 years in MTN to get to this level, and all that experience was brought to bear as part of what was used to select her as the 30th President of ICSAN. So we are extremely proud. We think it is an honour, and she is going to bring the institution a lot of value,” he said.

Ndukwe, while congratulating Ukpanah, said she has been a pillar in corporate governance pursuits in Nigeria, and we are privileged and lucky to have her as one of us at MTN Nigeria. She has been a very important resource in ensuring things are done well, and I am not surprised that she has reached this level in her career. This investiture is no doubt a great achievement, even for her in her trajectory.

“We do not doubt that she will do very well as president of ICSAN.”

He commended ICSAN for playing a major role in extending corporate governance in the private sector.
Governor Eno, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Enobong Uwah, commended the new ICSAN chief on the feat, expressing the state’s support for a fruitful tenure.

In her keynote address, a former Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, said Nigeria needed robust governance frameworks to take full advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

She said the frameworks are critical and must align with ethical principles of transparency, accountability, and compliance.

Speaking on the implications of AI to boards and company secretaries, and also how organisations must be responsive with the use of AI, she said boards must strengthen their oversight and must ensure their roles extend beyond compliance.
Johnson urged boards to enhance their understanding of AI, while company secretaries must integrate the technology into their overall management system.

“To balance innovation with responsibility, boards must strengthen their oversight, ensuring that AI is deployed to align with the organisation’s values, mitigates risks, and complies with relevant regulations and ethical standards,” she said.
Elated Ukpanah, in her acceptance speech, said her theme for her two-year tenure, ‘Expanding the Scope of Developments, Building on Legacy of Visionary Leadership’, was a philosophical and strategic call to action.

She promised to prioritise continuity, innovate, preserve heritage, and remain receptive to disruption.
She said her administration would strive to focus on the consolidation of the legacy and expansion of other frontiers, as well as engage the new Generation Z.

“We recognise that the future of governance lies in the energy, creativity, and digital fluency of our youth. Our aim is not just ambition for more outreach, as we are desirous of robustly fostering intergenerational inclusion. Thus, we will establish a Young Professionals Forum, targeting the Gen Z demographic, not by qualification date, but by generational identity,” she said.

Also ranking prominently on her agenda, Ukpanah said, is the transition from ICSAN to Corporate Governance Institute of Nigeria (CGIN) in line with international best practices and the evolving role of governance professionals.

“We are committed to securing the passage of the ICSAN Amendment Bill, changing our name to the Corporate Governance Institute of Nigeria. This will align us with similar reforms in South Africa, the UK, India, and other jurisdictions. It also reinforces the position of our members as compliance gatekeepers and governance moderators in both the public and private sectors. This is a strategic repositioning for relevance, prestige, and modern identity,” Ukpanah enthused.

In her valedictory speech, ICSAN’s immediate past President, Funmi Ekundayo, listed some of her administration’s achievements, including the promotion of corporate governance in the public and private sectors, and strengthened partnership with regulatory authorities.

Prominent among her achievements is the ongoing building of ICSAN’s N3.5 billion new national secretariat.

She said, “This is more than a building project; it is a legacy project, a testament to our belief in the future of ICSAN.”

Currently serving as the Company Secretary at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and the MTN Nigeria Foundation, Ukpanah won the Global Corporate Secretary of the Year at the maiden edition of the Corporate Secretaries International Association Global Governance Awards, which was held in Malaysia in 2024.