CIMA committed to accelerating Nigeria’s economic growth

Andrew Harding, managing director, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), said the Institute is wholly committed to Nigeria’s accelerated growth by contributing its ability and expertise towards the capacity-building of financially qualified business leaders that will grow Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy.

Making this known at the inaugural members’ dinner for CIMA members resident in Nigeria, Harding noted that the program was aimed at celebrating the great skills and dedication of the institute in driving performance management, risk management and accountancy profession. Harding noted that though Nigeria is already growing, it is a country which has the potential to grow faster.

According to Harding, “CIMA’s emphasis on performance management, risk management and improved decision making sets it apart from other accountancy qualifications. And with more than 218,000 members and students operating in 177 countries, the CIMA community is driving business excellence around the world.

“We are looking forward to developing the country’s talent base and further enhancing its position as a leading African economy. A CIMA Centre of Excellence will be established in Nigeria to develop the field of management accountancy in Nigeria.

“This, in turn, will make it easier for Nigerian management accountants to stay at the cutting edge of business evolution. Such expertise is essential if Nigeria is to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top 20 economic nations by 2020.”

The CIMA MD explained that being a CIMA member means being a good corporate citizen and thinking about the long term as well as putting professionalism at the heart of every activity.

This emphasis, he said, is the value offered by Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMAs) and a growing number of organisations are beginning to understand that employing CIMA members to build ethics and sustainability into their strategy makes good business sense.

“With Nigeria’s economy in the ascendance and a wealth of young talent eager to be developed, management accounting has a key role to play in ensuring that this dynamic nation not only survives future economic turbulence but thrives from public and private sector organisations that are both successful and sustainable,” Harding pointed out.

While the globe seems to give Nigeria a lot of bad press, Harding revealed that this is at variance with his trip to Nigeria which has been a wonderful experience of meeting dynamic, intelligent and inspiring entrepreneurial people.

On their part, CIMA fellows at the dinner led by Kola Jamodu, chairman, Nigeria Breweries plc; Folusho Phillips, executive chairman, Phillips Consulting Group; and Peter Crabb, senior consultant, Associated Consultants and Investment Limited, urged CIMA to make its sought-after professional development programmes readily accessible across Nigeria to empower young professionals and Nigerian businesses to build great opportunities in management.

CIMA, founded in 1919, is a leading professional body of management accountants, with over 218,000 members and students operating in 177 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce, public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

CIMA works closely with employers and sponsors leading-edge research, constantly updating its qualification, professional experience requirements and continuing professional development to ensure it remains the employers’ choice when recruiting financially-trained business leaders.

Alexander Chiejina