NGX demands corporate governance from companies

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, Temi Popoola, has said that compliance with corporate governance will boost investors’ confidence in the country.

Popoola said this on Thursday at the maiden annual Colloquium of the Corporate Governance organised by the NGX, Nigeria Bar Association Business Law Section and the Institute of Directors in Lagos.

The colloquium was themed, “Diversity and Inclusion: Adopting a multi-stakeholder Approach on the Promotion of sound corporate governance.

The NGX boss, who was represented by Divisional Head, Business Support Services, NGX, Mrs Irene Robinson-Ayanwale, said, “As the sustainable exchange championing Nigeria’s development, our commitment to business practices that support diversity and inclusion is resolute.

“We recognise that compliance to corporate governance standards helps to increase investors’ confidence in Issuers and improves their access to a broader pool of domestic, regional, and international investors. It is for these reasons, among others, that NGX has played a leading role in promoting various DEI initiatives in the Nigerian capital market over the years. “

In her keynote address, the Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Mrs Bola Adesola, stated that corporate governance helps to foster diversity and inclusion in the business environment.

She said, “There is no doubt that (corporate) governance plays a crucial role in advancing diversity and inclusion within organisations irrespective of the type of organisation or the sector the organization operates in.”

Adesola, who is also the chairman Board of Trustees, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, shared some principles that can help create a more diverse and inclusive environment for all and they include “Setting the tone from the top: Corporate governance frameworks, such as board charters and codes of conduct, can explicitly state the organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. When leadership, including boards of directors and executive management, emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion, it sends a clear message throughout the organization and helps create a culture that values and promotes diversity.