SPIN URGES FIRMS TO MAKE SUSTAINABILITY A CORE STRATEGY

The Sustainability Professionals Institute of Nigeria has urged businesses to move sustainability beyond compliance and reporting and make it part of their core business strategy.

The call was made at SPIN’s inaugural Sustainability Conference in Lagos, where business leaders, investors, policymakers and sustainability professionals discussed how organisations can remain resilient amid economic, climate and regulatory pressures.

President of SPIN, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, said sustainability strategies should reflect Nigeria’s economic and institutional realities rather than simply replicate frameworks developed in other markets.

Speakers at the conference stressed that environmental, social and governance considerations should be incorporated into investment decisions, risk management, capital allocation and corporate governance.

Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Kolawole Owodunni, said sustainability could no longer remain at the margins of corporate decision-making.

He noted that climate risks, changing regulations, resource constraints and shifting investor expectations could affect business costs, supply chains and access to capital.

Other speakers called for stronger board involvement and greater accountability, while urging companies to focus on sustainability initiatives that produce measurable business and social outcomes.

SPIN said the shift would require professionals with stronger financial, regulatory, climate-risk, data and impact-measurement skills.

The institute also plans to pursue chartered status and establish a formal licensing framework for sustainability practitioners in Nigeria.