Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening sustainability governance and corporate accountability with the signing of an agreement for the development of a National Digital Platform for sustainability regulatory reporting, powered by the country’s first core artificial intelligence platform.

The agreement, signed on Wednesday in Abuja, brings together the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Sustainability Analytics Limited (SALI) and Regulatory Compliance Readiness Advisors Limited (RCRA), marking a landmark move in regulatory modernisation.

In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary and CEO of the Financial Reporting Council, Dr Rabiu Olowo, described the initiative as a defining moment for corporate reporting and sustainability governance in Nigeria. He noted that sustainability has become central to global capital allocation, risk management and long-term value creation, stressing that Nigeria must not remain on the sidelines.

Olowo described the platform as the right solution at the right time, aligning with the council’s mandate to promote transparency, accountability and high-quality reporting. He explained that it would standardise sustainability disclosures, enhance regulatory monitoring, strengthen enforcement and generate actionable analytics for regulators, assurance professionals and policymakers. He assured stakeholders that the council would provide SALI the support needed for effective implementation, adding that the benefits of the platform would be seen immediately.

Dr Eberechi Weli provided an overview of the platform, explaining how it addresses fragmented, inconsistent and manual sustainability reporting. She said it will improve data quality and comparability while supporting enforcement, assurance and evidence-based policymaking. A high-level summary of the platform’s scope, structure and implementation was also presented by SALI team members, Mr Teria Yahere and Mr Ashlee Zee, who described its architecture for structured reporting and analytics and the roadmap for adoption by regulators, reporting entities and other stakeholders. They emphasised scalability, data integrity, interoperability and continuous engagement with stakeholders to ensure effective nationwide implementation.

Founder and CEO of RCRA, Dr Iheanyi Anyahara, said the initiative represents a milestone in both regulatory reform and national capacity development. He explained that while technology provides structure, effective sustainability regulation depends on people, skills and institutional readiness. RCRA’s mandate is to ensure regulators, reporting entities and assurance professionals have the competence to use the platform responsibly. He stressed that capacity is the bridge between policy and performance, and between compliance and credibility.

SALI’s technology statement was delivered by Mr Darren Gee, who said the solution is the first core AI-driven sustainability platform designed for regulatory reporting. It leverages artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve data quality, comparability and decision-making, placing Nigeria among countries adopting technology-enabled sustainability regulation.

In his closing remarks, Olowo reiterated the council’s confidence in the partnership, saying the platform reflects Nigeria’s commitment to credible reporting, intelligent regulation and sustainable economic growth. He added that it will strengthen investor confidence, reinforce public trust and position Nigeria as a global leader in AI-enabled sustainability reporting.