- GMD pledges renewed commitment to transparency and value creation
The New Nigeria Development Company Limited (NNDC) has been honoured with the Merit Award in the Corporate Category at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Merit Awards, held at the Monarch Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos, on Saturday, 16th May 2026.
The Executive Director, Corporate Services, Malam Abdulkareem M. Sani, FCA, who represented the Group Managing Director/CEO, Mallam Shehu Mai-Bornu, received the award on behalf of the Company. The Group Internal Auditor/Chief Compliance Officer, Dr. Bala Abubakar PhD, ACA, was also in attendance. In a statement, the GMD/CEO said:
“We are honoured that ICAN has recognized NNDC for our contribution to the accounting profession and to the wider community. We do not take this lightly, coming from an institution synonymous with professionalism, accountability, integrity, discipline, and excellence in financial stewardship.”
Mallam Mai-Bornu described the recognition as validation of NNDC’s ongoing reform agenda and commitment to sound corporate governance, financial discipline, and transparency.
“At this stage in our corporate history, NNDC is undergoing a deliberate process of strategic repositioning and transformation. We are strengthening governance systems, reviewing our investment portfolio, improving operational discipline, and repositioning the Company to play a more catalytic role in the development of our owner states. We are also placing renewed emphasis on accountability, professionalism, human capital development, and partnerships that deliver measurable impact,” he stated.
He added that for NNDC, the award is more than a plaque. “It is a reaffirmation of the values that have defined our journey for decades: service, development, accountability, and commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Northern Nigeria and Nigeria at large.”
Since its establishment, NNDC has remained committed to promoting commercial and industrial development, supporting investment, nurturing enterprise, and building platforms that create value for shareholders and society. The Company recognizes that institutions are sustained not only by capital and assets, but by people, knowledge, governance, and professional discipline.
NNDC and ICAN share a longstanding relationship anchored on integrity, competence, accountability, and capacity development. ICAN has produced accountants and financial leaders who have served with distinction across the public and private sectors. Many organizations, including NNDC, have benefited from the professional standards and ethical orientation ICAN promotes.
A key area of this partnership is the Special Students Project (SSP). NNDC is proud to support this initiative, which aligns with its philosophy that the future of the region and the country depends on deliberate investment in people, skills, and institutions. Through the SSP, ICAN has gone beyond certification to make direct contributions to society by supporting students who represent the next generation of professionals.
In furtherance of this objective, NNDC and ICAN have established SSP Centres in Kano, Gombe, Ilorin, and Kaduna. Collaborations are also underway with Katsina and Plateau States for additional centres in Katsina and Jos. These centres expand access to structured professional learning and create opportunities for young Nigerians to pursue careers in accountancy.
The partnership has produced notable outcomes. Elijah Hope Tumba, from the NNDC-ICAN Centre in Kaduna, emerged as the winner of the ICAN Merit Award for 1st Overall Best Position in the Professional Level of the May 2021 Diet. She also received the SWAN Prize for Best Qualifying Female Candidate, the Akintola Williams Deloitte & Touche Prize for Best Qualifying Candidate, the Akintola Williams Deloitte & Co./Olushola Adekanola & Co. Prize for Advanced Taxation, and the Dame Onome Joy Adewumi Prize for Best Female Candidate.
Linked to the SSP is the NNDC Musa Bello Learning Centre in Kaduna, established in 2007 to expand access to professional education and build human capital. The Centre has produced 1,776 Chartered Accountants since inception through its Young Professional Development Scheme (YPDS) and SSP across the four study centres in Northern Nigeria.
Through the Centre’s YPDS, NNDC offers also full scholarships for professional qualifications in stockbroking, insurance, and information technology. This reflects the Company’s conviction that development must be anchored on investment in people, skills, and professional excellence, not only on physical assets.
“We see this award as recognition of what NNDC has done in the past and of what we must continue to do in the future. No institution can achieve sustainable transformation without sound financial management. No investment holding company can command confidence without transparency, credible reporting, and prudent stewardship. No development institution can achieve lasting impact without professionalism and ethical leadership,” Mallam Mai-Bornu said.
He expressed appreciation to the President and Chairman of Council of ICAN, the Registrar/Chief Executive, Members of Council, and the entire ICAN family. He also acknowledged professionals, partners, staff, tutors, students, and stakeholders who have contributed to the Musa Bello Learning Centre and the SSP over the years.
“On behalf of the Chairman and Board of NNDC, I assure ICAN that we will continue to strengthen our partnership, particularly in professional development, capacity building, governance improvement, and the expansion of opportunities for young Nigerians. As we accept this award, we do so with gratitude, humility, and renewed determination to live up to the ideals for which we have been recognized.”
Mohammed Abdullahi, anipr
Head, Corporate Relations Department
For: New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) Limited
