Emma Okonji
Stakeholders in the sustainability profession have called for a context-driven practice, and stronger professional standards among organisations.
They made the call in Lagos during the inaugural sustainability conference organised by the Sustainability Professionals Institute of Nigeria (SPIN).
The hybrid event brought together sustainability professionals, business leaders, policymakers, investors, financial institutions and other stakeholders to examine how organisations can adapt, remain resilient and create long-term value amid growing uncertainty.
Themed: ‘The Adaptive Enterprise: Sustainability Strategies for Challenging Times’, the conference explored the evolving role of sustainability in business and the need for organisations to move beyond reporting and compliance, towards integration with strategy, governance, risk management, finance and leadership.
In his opening remarks, President of SPIN, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, reflected on the institute’s development and its growing role in advancing sustainability practice in Nigeria and Africa. He called for an approach that responds to local realities rather than importing frameworks developed elsewhere.
“Let us not make sustainability another form of imperialism travelling around the world. We must contextualise it to meet our needs,” Amaeshi said.
According to him, while global standards have a role, their application must produce outcomes relevant to Nigeria’s economic, institutional and social context.
The Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Kolawole Owodunni, who delivered the keynote speech on behalf of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA Aminu Umar-Sadiq, framed the central challenge as uncertainty.
According to the panelists, compliance is a baseline, not a competitive advantage. They therefore cautioned against applying international standards without local adaptation.