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•Say Nigerians have right to know resources utilised
A former Deputy Governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, yesterday, stressed the need for political leaders to be transparent in decision making and ensure policies and investments align with long-term interests of the nation and its citizens.
She also noted that Nigerians and investors have a right to know how resources are utilised and the state of progress on projects; hence the need for politicians to be transparent.
She spoke at the 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility forum exhibition and awards of AS+A, tagged: ‘CSR: Boosting sustainability, societal impact and return on investment’, held in Lagos
According to her, transparent governance practices foster trust and credibility in the political system, while accountability ensures social investments deliver on promised outcomes.
“Investors, both public and private, must adhere to stringent ethical standards and reporting mechanisms. Social impact investors should not only focus on financial returns but also on positive outcomes of their projects.
“Measuring the social and environmental impact of investments and reporting those metrics can help build trust and attract more capital to socially responsible projects,” she said.
Obada noted that Nigeria’s experiences in politics and social investments offer valuable insights on boosting sustainability, societal impact and return on investment.
“As we move forward, we must prioritise sustainable policies, foster collaboration between different stakeholders and ensure transparency and accountability in our actions.
“By focusing on responsible resource management, supporting social impact initiatives, and creating profitable investments that align with sustainability goals, Nigeria can pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive and prosperous future for all its citizens,” she added.
On his part, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Olawale Cole, maintained that the way to avoid coups in Africa is good governance.
“Lack of empathy by the leaders is the reason the people are disgruntled and gave the military the effrontery to want to take over. There’s a need to minimise poverty level,” he said. Nevertheless, he urged people to support government in its bid to assist society.
The Convener and Managing Director, AS+A Communications, Yeye Adenike Shobajo, said the event was part of actions to cement bilateral relationship between the government of Nigeria and sister countries. It also sought to foster better understanding of CSR relations that would enable bilateral business relationships become more profitable, while remaining socially and ethically accountable.
According to her, “it will respond to expectations of the private sector and the people of Nigeria from various arms of governments in this period of democracy. This is an important edition for us in AS+A Communications, obviously, because of the period and time in Nigeria that it is being held.
“My hope is that at the end of it all, we, in AS+A Communications, the organisers, as a corporate and socially responsible entity, would have been able to contribute our own social responsibility quota to the society.
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