Ada Chukwudozie, Chairman of Keystone Bank, has urged the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to address the digital skills gap within the accounting profession.
She made this appeal on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at ICAN’s 75th induction ceremony for new members, held in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.
During the event, ICAN formally inducted 1,851 new members, with women making up 53% and men 47% of the cohort.
Speaking on the theme, “Financial Leadership for Sustainable Development: Best Practices and Future Directions,” Chukwudozie emphasized the vital role of accountancy in driving good corporate governance, fostering investor confidence, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building resilient economies.
“At Keystone Bank, I have the privilege of working alongside a team of highly competent and experienced chartered accountants at both the board and management levels. Their contributions have been instrumental in transforming the bank and restoring it to profitability,” she said.
“Financial leadership goes beyond interpreting audit trails or analyzing balance sheets. It involves the capacity to lead institutions, systems, and even governments with ethical judgment and sound financial insight. Every digit represents a decision — one that can either build or erode trust. These numbers reflect real lives: workers, farmers, entrepreneurs, pensioners, children, the vulnerable, and the voiceless.”
“In a country like Nigeria, where resources are stretched, systems are still evolving, and corruption often poses as competence, the role of financial leaders becomes even more crucial. The future of financial leadership demands that accountants go beyond traditional methods, embracing new ideas and strategies to drive national development.”
On the importance of closing the digital gap in the profession, Chukwudozie stated, “We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is transforming industries globally — and accountancy is no exception. The adoption of data analytics, blockchain for secure and transparent record-keeping, artificial intelligence for improved efficiency and fraud detection, and cloud-based accounting platforms are no longer optional — they are essential.”
She called for digital literacy to be embedded as a core skill within the ICAN curriculum and in ongoing professional development initiatives across the country.
“This will equip accountants to deliver deeper insights and play a more active role in data-driven economic policymaking. Today’s accountants must be proficient in tools such as QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle, Power BI, and blockchain auditing platforms,” she added.
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