By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
Seplat Energy Plc, leading Nigerian independent energy company, has emerged winner of the Best in Sustainability Reporting Award at the maiden Corporate Reporting Award, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and NGX Regulation Ltd (NGX RegCo).
The recognition was announced at the ICAN/NGX RegCo Awards ceremony held in Lagos, an event organised to recognise the top 30 most capitalised companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX) for the 2022 financial reporting year.
The awards underscored ICAN and NGX Reg o’s shared commitment to fostering transparency, accountability, and international best practices within the private sector. The evaluation criteria included financial reporting, corporate governance, and sustainability reporting.
Speaking at the ceremony, the president of ICAN, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa, lauded NGX RegCo for ensuring better disclosures and reporting among listed companies.
Okwuosa noted that corporate reporting over time had evolved, as there was a shift from a primary focus on financial reporting to the increasing request to incorporate social and environmental disclosures.
He stated that the latter had evolved and had been differently propagated, including but not limited to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and late sustainability disclosures.
The ICAN boss explained that good corporate reporting must reflect the best elements of corporate governance, financial reporting, and sustainability reporting, adding that the maiden edition of the award is limited to 30 companies listed on the NGX for ease of administration but will be extended to all the listed companies in the future.
The CEO of NGX RegCo, Mr. Olufemi Shobanjo, in his address said that transparency is one of the key drivers of any economy. Shobanjo stated that transparency ensures full disclosure of information by entities and that such information is easily accessible to members of the public to make informed decisions.
The award was received by the CFO-Designate, Seplat Energy Plc, Mrs. Eleanor Adaralegbe, and the Director, External Affairs & Social Performance, Mrs. Chioma Afe.
In 2021, Seplat Energy unveiled a new corporate strategy based upon two ambitions, to Build a sustainable business and Deliver energy transition. Clearly each of these has sustainability at its heart, and each is made up of three pillars in which Seplat Energy defines its business strategy in terms of specific initiatives that promote sustainability across our business activities.
“Now, for Seplat Energy, sustainability is embedded at all levels and across all operations”, Adaralegbe said whilst commending ICAN and NGX RegCo for the recognition and sustained display of professionalism.
