ICSAN urges businesses to thrive despite operating challenges

Outgoing Chairman, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigerian (ICSAN), Lagos Chapter, Francis Olawale, has urged businesses to maintain stability and thrive irrespective of the current challenging operating environment.

Olawale, who was immediately appointed ICSAN National Treasurer, said this at the Annual General Meeting of the institute’s Lagos Chapter on Thursday in Lagos.

He said that the success or failure of any organisation was hinged not only on government policies but on individual efforts at taking advantage of various opportunities, irrespective of environmental factors.

“I have a personal approach to economic situations and even though we can hold the government responsible for the general state of the economy, I believe that at all times and in every way possible, the people who would progress in an economy would always progress be it a time of recession.

“Irrespective of the situation, you have some people who emerge, and others who fail and it is dependent on individual.

“If I am supposed to speak for our members, with the new code of corporate governance, data protection act, these are opportunities for our members to thrive,” he said.

Speaking on his tenure as Chairman, Olawale said his administration was able to convert the chapter’s financial statements to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) compliant format.

“Also, we created an editorial board to enhance better production of flagship magazine.

“We also improved in the area of funding and carried out several advocacy and awareness  programmes for the institute,” he said.

He urged that the same measure of support and cooperation given to him be accorded to his predecessor.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Mrs Nkechi Anyimah emerged as chairman and 14 others were elected into council positions. (NAN)