The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) will tomorrow hold the investiture of Uto Ukpanah, as the 30th President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute.
Ukpanah, a distinguished legal practitioner and governance professional, according to a statement, is the first-ever recipient of the Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award, instituted in 2024 by the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA), the umbrella body representing governance professionals across four continents.
The award honours governance professionals whose impact resonates across corporate and international boundaries. According to the panel of eminent judges, Ukpanah was elected for her invaluable contributions to governance, strategy, ethics and innovative interventions which can be applied across global platforms
Ukpanah succeeds Funmi Ekundayo, FCIS, ICSAN’s first female President, whose two-year tenure was marked by innovation, institutional reform, and landmark progress.
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A seasoned Chartered Secretary, governance strategist, and sustainability advocate, Ukpanah currently serves as the Company Secretary of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and the MTN Nigeria Foundation Limited by Guarantee.
She has played a central role in positioning MTN Nigeria as a governance exemplar, guiding it to become the first and only company to list directly on the Premium Board of the Nigerian Exchange Limited. Her oversight also extends to MTN’s related entities such as MoMo Payment Service Bank Limited, XS Broadband Limited, and Yello Digital Financial Services Limited.
Ukpanah has devoted her career to championing the recognition of company secretaries as critical enablers of sound corporate governance. She has been actively involved in the development and implementation of corporate governance codes across various sectors in Nigeria.
Under Ukpanah’s leadership, the statement said ICSAN is expected to continue its pursuit of excellence in promoting governance standards, capacity building and advocacy. Her presidency will focus on strategic goals, including strengthening ICSAN’s relationship with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors, as well as the construction of ICSAN’s new National Secretariat, among others.
The investiture ceremony marks a new chapter in ICSAN’s journey, with Ukpanah poised to build on the foundation laid by her predecessors.
