From Abraham Akpabio
LAGOS
Members, stakeholders and partners of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) are today rolling out the drums to celebrate an exceptionally hardworking, dedicated and committed member, Mrs Uto Ukpanah, on her investiture as the 30th President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute.
A statement signed by the registrar and chief executive officer of ICSAN, Mr. Babatunde Oladipo Okuneye, indicated that Ukpanah will be sworn in at a hybrid investiture programme convened at Victoria Island today, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Lagos.
The event, according to Okuneye in the statement, will have the faculty member of Harvard Business School, Professor Hakeem Belo-Osagie, as chairman of the programme and a senior partner, TLcom Capital, Dr. Omobola Johnson, as keynote speaker.
In a chat with Midweek Pioneer in Lagos, over the weekend, the celebrator, Mrs. Ukpanah expressed her heartfelt appreciation to God for the honour to be elected the 30th President and Chairman of the Governing Council of ICSAN, saying, “I am deeply humbled and thrilled to lead our esteemed Institute and to work with our members, stakeholders and partners to promote good governance, professionalism and excellence in Nigeria.
“I am also excited about opportunities and challenges ahead and pledge to dedicate myself more to serving ICSAN and our members with utmost best, integrity, passion and commitment”.
While looking forward to building on the foundation laid by her predecessors and driving ICSAN’s mission forward, Ukpanah promised to enhance professionalism and pursuit of excellence.
Also reacting to the development, husband of the celebrator, who is a member of Ibom Deep Seaport Technical Committee and chairman of the Board of Directors of Lex Mundi, a leading global network of top-tier independent law firms, Barr. Aniekan Ukpanah said, “I am deeply excited and immensely proud of my wife’s professional accomplishments. Her investiture as the 30th President and Chairman of the Governing Council of ICSAN is a testament to her pedigree, hard work, resilience, professionalism, commitment to excellence, and unwavering faith in God.
“She is a truly remarkable woman with an extraordinary ability to balance her roles as a devoted and caring wife, loving mother, and accomplished professional. I have watched her, time and again, pour herself into service, with quiet strength, humility, and a deep sense of purpose. Whether burning the midnight oil to meet professional obligations or offering wise counsel at home, she embodies grace and grit in equal measure.
“As her biggest cheerleader, I am confident that her tenure will usher in a period of impactful leadership, innovation, and sustainable growth for ICSAN.
“We give all glory to God, for indeed, “those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles…” (Isaiah 40:31).
Ukpanah, a distinguished legal practitioner and governance professional, 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, Uto Ukpanah was selected for her invaluable contributions to governance, strategy, ethics, and innovative interventions that can be applied across global platforms.
She succeeds Mrs. Funmi Ekundayo, ICSAN’s first female President, whose two-year tenure was marked by innovation, institutional reform, and landmark progress.
A seasoned Chartered Secretary, governance strategist, and sustainability advocate, Mrs. Ukpanah currently serves as the Company Secretary of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and 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.
Mrs Ukpanah has devoted her career to championing the recognition of company secretaries as critical enablers of sound corporate governance, and has been actively involved in the development and implementation of corporate governance codes across various sectors in Nigeria, including:Secretary to the Committee on Corporate Governance for Banks and Financial Institutions of the Bankers’ Committee, which developed the Corporate Governance Guidelines for that sector, subsequently adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2003; Member of the Committee that developed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies in Nigeria, 2011; member of the Presidential Committee on the Codes of Corporate Governance for the Public, Private and Not-for-profit sectors 2013; Member of the Technical Committee on Corporate Governance set up by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria that developed the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018.
In addition, Ukpanah has been involved in developing global best practice guidelines, particularly under the umbrella of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), including the UNGC Guidelines for Sports Sponsorship and Hospitality.
She has served as a member of the UNGC delegation to the Kingdom of Morocco, the Russian Federation, the Republic of South Africa, the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa and was a speaker during the 15th Anniversary of the UNGC at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She sits on several boards.
Under Ukpanah’s leadership, 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, today, marks a new chapter in ICSAN’s journey, with Mrs Ukpanah poised to build on the foundation laid by her predecessors.
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