Former President of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN), Olusegun Osunkeye, has charged Nigerian corporate leaders to focus on ethical governance and long-term impact, rather than being fixated on short-term financial results. He made the call during a keynote address at an SCGN public lecture themed “Leadership Legacies: Advancing Good Governance for the Next Generation.”
The event, hosted in honour of retired directors Tijjani Borodo, Ibrahim Dikko, and Adetunji Oyebanji, was organised by SCGN to spotlight the role of responsible leadership in building Nigeria’s corporate governance future. The current SCGN President, Mohammad Ahmad, said the gathering was aimed at recognising impactful leadership and reinforcing the importance of values-driven governance.
Osunkeye, who is also a former chairman of Nestlé Nigeria, urged corporate leaders to prioritise institutional sustainability, ethical standards, and transparency, warning that history does not judge leaders by quarterly financial reports but by the long-term influence of their leadership.
“We will not be remembered for how we managed the quarter; we will be remembered for how we stewarded the future,” he declared, urging executives to embed good governance into organisational DNA.
He noted that corporate governance should not be reduced to mere slogans or tick-box compliance, but should be demonstrated through strategic actions, measurable outcomes, and an embedded culture of integrity. “Organisations must behave themselves into the future. Corporate culture cannot be constructed from slogans alone,” he said.
Osunkeye also expressed concern over growing corporate corruption, urging Nigerian private sector leaders and regulators to address governance failures at their roots by institutionalising integrity and ensuring accountability at all levels.
He highlighted the urgent need to groom future leaders who embody values and can sustain reform efforts over time. According to him, “We are all temporary stewards of something permanent. Our influence may fade, but our impact must echo through the organisations we reform, the people we empower, and the values we embody.”
He called on current leaders to see governance as an opportunity to serve and to prioritise legacy building over self-interest or transient achievements. “Be a transformational leader, have a vision, make an impact of positive change, and leave a legacy. Lead without compromising your values and ethics,” he said in closing.
The SCGN lecture comes at a critical time for corporate Nigeria, as stakeholders continue to demand transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance, especially amid recurring governance lapses in both the public and private sectors.
