L-R: Akinbola Akintola of Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp): Yemi Ajagun; Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, CFA Society Nigeria,; Oludare Moses-Adenkan; Chief Operating Officer, Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Olumuyiwa Adeyemi; Council Member, Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Babatunde Adewolu of Association of Corporate Trustees (ACT); Jonathan Eborah; Registrar and Chief Executive, Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR) and Wakeel Olawale; Executive Secretary, Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN) during the Investment Professionals’ 5 KM Walk for Sustainability, held in Lagos

 

By Ngozi Onyeakusi—Members of seven investment professional associations in Nigeria, at the weekend, held a 5-kilometer Sustainability Walk, reinforcing their commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

The Walk, the first in the series, themed : “Investment Professionals Walk for Sustainability,” which began from Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Lagos, took the participants to Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Ahmadu Bello Way, Adeola Odeku Street and Akin Adesola Street, from where they went back to the starting point – Muri Okunola Park, in about two hours, including aerobic exercises before and after the Walk.

The 400 investment professionals, who participated in the maiden edition of the Sustainability Walk were: members of CFA Society Nigeria, Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN), and Association of Corporate Trustees (ACT).

Commenting on the event, the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, CFA Society Nigeria, Yemi Ajagun explained that the Walk was organised to show interdependence amongst investment professionals in Nigeria.

” The walk is a fun and healthy way for professionals to demonstrate the ideals of sustainability to the public especially in these times. It is to show the mutually beneficial relationship and interdependence existing in the finance and investment ecosystem among various professionals on one hand and, the environment in which we function, as members of the society we serve on the other.

” It provides a platform for collaboration by different bodies for the benefit of the financial markets and ultimately all stakeholders in the economy. The event also provides a networking opportunities for participants who got to meet colleagues in a convivial atmosphere. It also sends a signal to the investing public to take exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle seriously,” says Ajagun

Corroborating him, a Council Member of ASHON, Muyiwa Adeyemi, said the Walk was beyond physical activity but a statement of collective responsibility of investment professionals to drive positive change in the society.

” In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the critical role that finance plays in fostering sustainable development, not just in the economy but in the society at large. The key associations recognize the importance of aligning their activities with the global drive for sustainability.

” Ultimately, the event represents a shared vision of building market integrity, environmental responsibility, and social impact within the finance and investment profession. While similar initiatives have taken place on a smaller scale within individual organisations, this is the first time all these associations have come together for a unified sustainability-focused event.
Beyond just physical activity, the walk is a powerful statement of our industry’s collective responsibility to drive positive change,” says Adeyemi.

During the networking session, the associations, reaffirmed their commitment to incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies into their investment practices.