The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has pledged to become a formidable ally in Nigeria’s fight against corruption and improve transparency, good governance and institutional accountability.

The newly inaugurated 61st President of the institute, Mallam Haruna Yahaya, made this pledge yesterday at his investiture ceremony.

In his inaugural address, Yahaya emphasised that ICAN would deepen its support to regulatory institutions by leveraging its technical expertise, expansive national presence, and the credibility of its member network.

“This year, we shall strengthen ICAN’s role as a trusted ally to regulatory bodies—not merely as a watchdog, but as a collaborative partner in raising standards across the public and private sectors,” Yahaya stated.

The investiture ceremony drew a large gathering of dignitaries, including the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, Aminu Usman; the Attorney General of Jigawa State, Abdulqadir Fanini; Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Dr Rabiu Olowo; President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Zuwaira Kishimi; President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, among others.

Outlining his strategic priorities, Yahaya unveiled a pronged approach that includes strengthening professional standards in auditing and financial reporting, promoting forensic accounting for anti-corruption, supporting regulatory capacity-building, and participating in national policy dialogues.

“We are not just building courses, we are building capacity for future-ready leadership,” Yahaya said, referencing planned updates to ICAN’s Continual Professional Development (CPD) programmes, which will now include modules on emerging areas such as cybersecurity, sustainability, and data analytics.

He also announced the launch of the Small Medium Practitioners (SMPs) Academy, a new platform tailored to equip SMPs with practical tools, regulatory knowledge, and digital transformation skills.