THE Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Nigeria has given reasons why it unveiled its corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the theme: “Rethinking our world”, in the country.
It said the move was to ensure that the association and its community act as a force for public good through achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Head, ACCA Nigeria Tom Isibor; Head of Policy, Africa, Jane Ohadike; and Senior Business Development Manager, Nigeria Aderonke Adebule, spoke about the programme to reporters at a media interactive session in Lagos on Tuesday.
Isibor, who led the presentation, said aside the fact that the ACCA is a global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification to its prospective members, the organisation realised that there’s an overwhelming societal expectation to create a world that works for everyone – “one that is greener, fairer and more inclusive”.
He asserted that the model for this better world exists in the UN Sustainability Development Goals, stressing that the association is ready to impact on the nation’s small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), productivity, accountability and inclusiveness through the campaign.
According to him, “every part of society, if not already doing so, needs to respond to the UN’s call to make the 2020s a decade of action by placing the SDGs at the centre of positive and sustainable change”.
As a leader in the profession, Isibor noted that the ACCA is responding to that call for action.
“We’ve made a set of commitments so that we can play our part in shaping a better, fairer and more sustainable future.
“In our new campaign, ‘Rethinking our world’, we call on everyone in the ACCA community to play their part in creating a better world by firstly engaging with the UN SDGs and asking the question – what steps can I take?” Isibor and his team said.
Reechoing the words of the ACCA’s chief executive Helen Brand, Isibor and the ACCA Nigeria team said setting out the association’s commitments is an important and necessary step in ensuring that ACCA and its community acts as a force for public good and delivers the profession the world needs.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all UN member states in 2015, providing a blueprint for peace and prosperity.
At the heart of the 2030 Agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. The SDGs are ambitious objectives and targets that aim to end extreme poverty and hunger, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.
In their presentations, the team said: “We recognise the importance of all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated 169 targets and related indicators of success. We’ve identified that we can make the most significant contribution towards nine of them.
“Our contribution will be made by supporting and empowering our proud connected community. We’re also in a strong position to positively influence governments, policy-makers and regulators on sustainability matters, and develop the profession in alignment with the SDGs.
“And we’re making commitments as an employer and in relation to our own operations, including our commitment to becoming Net Zero by 2030. As we move towards 2030, we’ll be taking steps to build momentum, move forward with purpose and deliver our commitments.
“Sustainability is fully integrated in our qualification, preparing future generation of accountants to recognise the challenges and address the impact in organisations.
“We’ve collated a selection of our resources and learning materials and linked them to each of the 9 SDGs we’ve made our commitment to.
“And we’re calling on everyone in the ACCA community to make their own personal commitment to at least one of the UN SDGs.
“The ACCA’s UN SDG hub – supporting and empowering our connected community our hub with resources, learning and stories to help our community take STEPS towards a better, fairer and more sustainable future.”
Ohadike said through its policy arm, the ACCA has been discussing with governments on policies concerning education, accountability, governance, women inclusiveness, among others.
According to her, such interventions have been creating the required impacts, but the association would not make noise about it.
She added that the women network of the ACCA had reached out to under-privileged girls in Makoko area of Lagos State, training 30 of such girls.
She said more of such trainings are in the pipeline.
Beginning from the association’s first quarter, April – July, Adebule said the ACCA will concentrate on: “Accounting for a better world: our profession”. During the second quarter, August – November), it will be focusing on: “Accounting for a better world: your career” and in third quarter, December – March, the association will focus on “Accounting for a better world: business and government”.
She said the association also planned specific programmes like “ACCA Student Summit (Skills for the future)”, “International Women’s Day (Virtual) Event”, “Rethinking public financial management with the Lagos State Government”, “The nexus between political inclusion and economic performance”, IFRS in a changing world conversation and Member Recognition.
Founded in 1904, the ACCA is the global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification (ACCA). It has 233,000 members and 536,000 future members worldwide. ACCA’s headquarters are in London with principal administrative office in Glasgow. ACCA works through a network of over 110 offices and centres in 51 countries.