What FITC’s 2026 Sustainability & ESG Conference Promises

The Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) has scheduled its 2026 Sustainability & ESG Conference for July 8 in Lagos, reaffirming its commitment to advancing sustainability, responsible business practices, and long-term value creation across Africa.

Coming under the theme “Building a Sustainable Africa: Integrating Environmental Stewardship, Social Impact, and Strong Governance for a Prosperous Future”, the conference is focusing on moving ESG practices across Africa from corporate intent to concrete, actionable execution.

It builds on the 2025 conference themed “Building a Prosperous Future: Unlocking Growth Opportunities through Sustainability and ESG Innovation”, where discussions centred on shifting ESG from an optional compliance metric to a core business strategy, and leveraging green investment and climate finance across Africa.

What the Conference Promises

Managing Director/CEO of FITC, Dr Chizor Malize, said at a press briefing in Lagos that the 2026 conference would address climate change, growing stakeholder expectations, changing regulatory environments, and increasing demands for transparency and accountability.

To address these issues, the conference is bringing together a distinguished community of sustainability thought leaders, corporate executives, governance experts, regulators, development finance professionals, policymakers, investors, and ecosystem enablers committed to accelerating sustainable development across Africa.

According to her, a key feature of the conference will be the Sustainability & ESG Titans plenary, themed “Building a Sustainable Africa: From Commitment to Action”, which will explore how organizations can move beyond sustainability commitments to measurable actions that deliver long-term environmental, social and economic value. Discussions during this session will focus on implementation strategies, accountability frameworks, stakeholder collaboration, and the practical pathways required to accelerate sustainable transformation across Africa.

The conference will further examine how businesses can leverage environmental stewardship to enhance business resilience, drive sustainable growth, and secure long-term prosperity, with conversations centring on climate action, resource efficiency, responsible environmental management, and the role of sustainability in strengthening organizational competitiveness.

The importance of strategic social investment as a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development and shared prosperity will also come into focus, as well as the critical role of ethical leadership, transparency, accountability, effective board oversight, and strong governance structures in fostering stakeholder confidence and enabling long-term organizational success.

But beyond the conversations, the conference promises to create opportunities for high-level networking, knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships, and cross sector collaboration. It will provide participants with access to actionable insights and practical frameworks designed to strengthen ESG integration, support sustainable value creation, and accelerate positive environmental and social outcomes, and for stakeholders, it will be an opportunity to engage in investment conversations, regulatory discussions, and partnership building initiatives that can drive sustainable transformation across industries and sectors.

Meet the Speakers

According to Dr. Malize, speakers at the conference include Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), Senior Partner, Kenna Partners and Chairman, Guinness Nigeria PLC; Dr. Chizor Malize, MD/CEO, FITC; Dr. Soromidayo George, Director, Corporate Affairs & Sustainable Business, CocaCola HBC Nigeria; Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB); and Ayotola O. Jagun, Executive Director, Oando Plc.

Others are Dr. Henrietta Onwueguzia, Director, Business Innovation Accelerator; Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, Chair in Sustainable Finance & Governance at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute; Olufemi Shobanjo, Chief Executive Officer, NGX Regulation Limited; Olufemi Awoyemi, Board Chairman, Proshare Nigeria; Tinuade Awe, experienced attorney and governance consultant; Osayi Alile, Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation, among others.

Why It Matters

As the growing demand for sustainable business practices, responsible investment frameworks, and transparent governance structures across the world elevates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations from a corporate aspiration to a strategic imperative for organisations seeking long-term resilience, competitiveness, and growth, organisations are increasingly coming to terms with the fact that they must move beyond declarations and commitments to measurable implementation.

This is critical for businesses in Africa seeking access to global capital and international markets or trying to navigate the evolving local and international regulatory frameworks. Unlike in time past, ESG is no longer a voluntary corporate social responsibility but mandatory compliance., with companies increasingly being tasked to embed sustainability strategies within their governance structures, operational frameworks, investment decisions, and organisational culture.

With FITC’s Sustainability & ESG Conference 3.0’s promise to shift the focus from theoretical ESG training to actionable, real-world execution, it is expected that it will provide organizations in Africa with the strategies needed to meet changing regulatory environments, growing stakeholder expectations, and global climate challenges. By moving from intention to execution, from equipping African business leaders with the knowledge to align with international ESG frameworks to focusing on actual management, the conference should help businesses to implement practical risk assessments, traceability, and supply chain standards. These are critical ingredients for the region’s sustainable development.

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