The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has charged its new 911 fellows to uphold the ethical standards of integrity, accuracy and excellence in the discharge of their services.

President of ICAN, Davidson Alaribe gave the charge at its 24th followership conferment at the weekend in Victoria Island, Lagos.

He urged the inductees to continually seek innovative solutions, embrace lifelong learning, and remain steadfast in their dedication to the ethical standards that define the profession.

With the new status, Alaribe tasked the fellows who have joined the 65,000 members to uphold the responsibility of mentoring the next generation, championing ethical standards, and contributing positively to society.

He noted that the fellows were thoroughly screened, having acquired a minimum of five- and 10-years maximum post qualifications experience.

“The Governing Council approved this conferment, you were assessed and found worthy in your compliance with the best global practices in service delivery and value creation; steadfast commitment to the well-regarded ethical values of accountability, transparency, honesty, and integrity as espoused by the profession and Institute; and outstanding value-driven contributions to the development and growth of the accountancy profession,” he said.

further charged them to remember that their influence extends beyond balance sheets and financial reports, adding that they are now ambassadors of integrity, accountability, and transparency.

He said: “I urge you to be proactive in your pursuit of knowledge and to actively participate in shaping the future of accountancy in Nigeria and beyond. In the new landscape of professionalism, it depends on how each one of you can collaborate and leverage the strength of others to find solutions more quickly by pooling knowledge and skills. You must be intentional about building relationships that support a more efficient workflow and higher-quality outcomes. Unarguably, the present economic challenges require deliberate collaborative efforts among Chartered Accountants if we want to significantly impact our society.”

The ICAN president stated that the Institute will not renege on its obligation to provide a supportive environment for growth and avail the professional platforms for cutting-edge training and networking opportunities.

The Rector of Yaba College of Technology, (Yabatech) Dr Ibraheem Adedotoun Abdul, who was the Special guest of honour, said the interest of developing Nigeria’s economy must be foremost in the minds of the practitioners.

He challenged accountants and Nigerians to become more proactive in local production of goods, less of dependency and also take advantage of producing for the international market.

Abdul urged professionals to explore policies and programmes of the government to partake in rather than sit back and lay blame.

He emphasised that the future will be based on technology and encouraged young professionals and the youthful population to develop a special interest in it, towards solving local challenges.

The forum attracted award presentations to the best three districts of the institute with the highest numbers of fellowship conferees. The winners include the Abuja District Society, Ilupeju District Society and Ikeja District Society.

Earlier, the Chairman Membership Affairs Committee, Dr Etofolam Osuji, challenged the fellows to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct, professional judgment, and leadership.

Osuji also advised them to set a strong example for others and support the Institute’s ongoing mission to advance the profession in Nigeria and beyond.