The Group Managing Director of Zedcrest Group, Adedayo Amzat, CFA, has called on Nigerian businesses and organizations to prioritize ethical leadership and governance as a foundation for long-term sustainability and success.
Amzat made this call while speaking with journalists at the 20th Anniversary Corporate Governance Conference of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN), held in Lagos. Themed “Strengthening Ethical Governance in a Disrupted World: Reflections of Governance Journey for a Sustainable Future,” the event gathered business leaders, regulators, and experts to deliberate on the future of corporate governance in an era of global disruption.
At the conference, Amzat moderated a high-level panel session featuring notable industry figures, including the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele; Director, Nigeria Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC), Yeside Kazeem; Chairperson, Coronation Life Assurance Limited, Susanne Iroche; and CEO, LeadRight Consultant, South Africa, Kim Andersen.
According to the Zedcrest boss, ethical governance must guide every level of corporate decision-making if organizations are to achieve enduring relevance and profitability. He stressed that businesses should see governance not merely as compliance, but as a strategic pillar that sustains purpose and profitability.
“When it comes to choosing between ethical governance and the immediate profit objectives of companies, the balance should tilt towards the former,” Amzat said. “Ethical governance is about purpose, and purpose guarantees profit in the long term. If you pursue profit without governance, you risk collapse in the long term.”
He added that boards must move beyond viewing ethical governance as a checklist item, and instead ensure it is deeply embedded in the culture and conscience of their organizations. “Corporate success should be measured not only by financial performance but also by integrity, transparency, and accountability,” he noted.
In her keynote address, former Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, spoke on the evolving nature of corporate success in today’s rapidly changing world. She highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal, and foreign exchange volatility as major disruptions shaping modern governance.
Dr. Johnson explained that the definition of success has expanded to include factors such as sustainability, employee engagement, and ethical use of technology. “Boards must go beyond profitability and shareholder value to assess resilience, sustainability, and the ethical deployment of technology,” she said.
She cautioned against the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), which could displace human workers in the quest for efficiency. “As AI drives productivity, the board’s role must evolve from monitoring performance targets to acting as the ethical compass of the organization,” Johnson emphasized.
The SCGN President and Board Chairman, Muhammad K. Ahmad, OON, in his welcome remarks, described the conference as a vital platform to reflect on Nigeria’s corporate governance journey and prepare for the challenges of the future. He noted that the theme underscores the importance of ethics and leadership integrity in an increasingly unpredictable business environment.
Ahmad urged business leaders to uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability, stressing that these values are central to building institutions that can withstand disruptions. “We must consistently choose to do what is right rather than take the easy way out,” he said.
Other speakers at the conference shared insights on how ethical decision-making can drive corporate resilience and foster public trust, especially in a period of economic and technological transformation. Discussions also touched on how governance frameworks must adapt to issues such as cybersecurity, ESG reporting, and talent retention.
The conference, which marked SCGN’s two decades of advocacy for ethical leadership in Nigeria’s corporate sector, brought together top executives from finance, insurance, technology, and consulting industries. It served as both a reflection on past progress and a blueprint for the future of governance in Africa’s largest economy.
Zedcrest Group, under Amzat’s leadership, has continued to promote sound governance practices and sustainability principles across its operations. The company’s participation at the conference reinforced its commitment to driving transparency, professionalism, and accountability in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem.
