Corporate Governance & Financial Reporting Quality Conference
On 25 June 2018, CFA Society Nigeria and Institute of Directors Centre for Corporate Governance hosted a conference on “Corporate Governance & Financial Reporting Quality” at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos. The conference was held in commemoration of CFA Society Nigeria’s 2018 “Putting Investors First” Day. The conference was attended by C-level executives, regulators, investment professionals and journalists. The event attracted several high-profile speakers in the finance and investment industry.
The overriding objective of the conference was to draw the attention of players in the investment industry to the importance of good corporate governance standards and financial reporting quality as they link to transparency, ethical conduct and integrity. The content was rich and engaging, exposing participants to trends in financial reporting quality, regulatory thinking about corporate governance and how institutional investors such as supranational financial institutions, pension funds and private equity firms integrate corporate governance considerations into their investment processes.
The session featured three panel discussions moderated by Mr. Banji Fehintola, CFA, president of CFA Society Nigeria; Dr. Nechi Ezeako, Executive Director of IoDCCG and Mr. Abiodun Sanusi, CFA, Group Head, Investment Banking, Coronation Merchant Bank. CFA Institute’s President & CEO, Mr. Paul Smith, CFA delivered a keynote address on ‘Why Trust Matters’.
‘We believe the industry’s future is promising – IF professionals embrace trust and chart a course that better fulfils the industry’s purpose. Better outcomes are possible – for the end investor, the industry and society – when trust is placed at the core of relationships. If we succeed in building trust with our clients, we can build a sustainable industry’ he said.
During the conference, the Business Network for Ethics and Integrity (BNEI), a platform for the promotion of ethical conduct, values and compliance evaluation in business was launched by Mr. Paul Smith, CFA and Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Mohammed, F.IoD, President/Chairman of Council, IoD Nigeria
The President of CFA Society Nigeria, Mr. Banji Fehintola, CFA stated that “given our mutual interest in advancing ethics and integrity, CFA Society Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Directors Centre of Corporate Governance in February 2018 to promote ethics and integrity in the Nigerian business community. One of the ways to achieve this mutual objective is by organizing events and programs such as the just concluded conference. The conference is just one of several initiatives that CFA Society Nigeria will pursuing in this area given our membership of the BNEI.”
The conference was sponsored by Citi, Coronation Merchant Bank and Synergy Capital Managers.