ICAN Champions Excellence on Accounting Day

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has joined millions of accountants across the world to celebrate the 2025 International Accounting Day, with a call on professionals to uphold integrity and diligence in the discharge of their duties.

The South-West regional celebration, hosted at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, brought together ICAN members, students, and academics to honour the contributions of accountants to transparency, accountability, and national development.

Speaking at the event, ICAN President, Dr. Haruna Yahaya, described accountants as “unsung heroes behind the financial stability of businesses, governments, and communities,” urging them to pursue excellence without compromise. Represented by the institute’s immediate past president, Chief DCS Alaribe, Yahaya traced the roots of modern accounting to the 1494 publication of Luca Pacioli’s work on double-entry bookkeeping, which he said laid the foundation for financial management principles still guiding the profession today.

“Long before the age of artificial intelligence and analytics, the accountant’s pen was already shaping the course of human progress through discipline, accuracy, and integrity,” he said.
He also applauded ICAN’s more than 67,000 members for their commitment to professionalism, noting that their conduct continues to sustain confidence in Nigeria’s economy and institutions.

The ICAN President further commended global accounting bodies such as the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA), and the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa (ABWA) for promoting high standards of governance and accountability worldwide.

In his remarks, the Dean of the School of Management and Business Studies, Dr. Fadipe Adeniyi Olubunmi, FCA, expressed joy that YABATECH was chosen to host this year’s edition, noting that about 80 per cent of lecturers in the institution’s Accountancy Department are ICAN fellows. He said this alignment ensures the department’s curriculum reflects global best practices and the digital transformation reshaping the profession.

Dr. Fadipe revealed that two students from the department recently qualified as ICAN members while still in school — a feat he described as proof of YABATECH’s academic excellence. He also highlighted the department’s second-place finish at a regional competition hosted by the University of Lagos and its students’ participation in an industrial training programme in Japan.

Addressing students, YABATECH Rector, Dr. Adedotun Ibrahim Abdul, encouraged them to believe in their abilities and take charge of their future. “Your fate lies in your own hands. Failure may come, but it must not define your life. After every hardship comes ease,” he advised.

He reaffirmed the college’s commitment to maintaining high professional standards and thanked ICAN for its continued support.
“On behalf of the Council, faculty, staff, and students, I assure ICAN that YABATECH will not let the accounting world down,” he said.