UKPANAH, FCIS
Uto Ukpanah is the first-ever recipient of the Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award, instituted in 2024 by the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA), the umbrella body representing governance professionals across four continents. As described by the Chairperson of the award panel of judges (comprising distinguished Professors and eminent governance practitioners), the award recognises outstanding work done by a Corporate Secretary, who has demonstrated excellence in not just company secretarial work but whose strategic and innovative contributions have impacted beyond their organisation and can be applied across international platforms.
A legal practitioner and chartered secretary, Mrs. Ukpanah currently serves as the Company Secretary of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and MTN Nigeria Foundation Limited by Guarantee. Under her strategic guidance, MTN Nigeria has achieved impressive governance milestones, becoming the first and only company to list directly on the Premium Board of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, and has received several awards and recognitions. Her oversight responsibility extends to MTN Nigeria’s diverse related entities, including MoMo Payment Service Bank Limited, XS Broadband Limited, and Yello Digital Financial Services Limited, where she plays a pivotal role in their governance and sustainability efforts. She is tirelessly committed to advancing sound governance practices across sectors.
Her impact extends beyond MTN Nigeria, as evidenced by her election and investiture today as President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), marking the second time a woman has been elected to this position in ICSAN’s nearly 60-year history. As Vice-President, she was assigned the responsibility of chairing three major committees of the Institute: the National Secretariat Building Committee, the Finance & General-Purpose Committee, and the AGM & Conference Committee. She worked closely with Mrs. Funmi Ekundayo FCIS, the outgoing President, to implement reforms and strategic repositioning of ICSAN. She has also served as a Member of the Nomination and Governance Committee. Mrs. Ukpanah played a key role in the establishment of the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of ICSAN, one of the fastest-growing chapters of the Institute, and remains a pillar of support. Her interest in ICSAN began when she attended one of the programmes organised by the Institute in 1998 on the Role of the Company Secretary. This struck a chord with her, and from then on, she closely aligned herself with the Institute’s activities, even though she did not become a member until 2013. She was inducted as a Fellow of ICSAN in 2015.
As the only daughter of Professor Moses and Adiahaobong Jessie Akpanudo, raised alongside two older brothers, Mr. Imo Akpanudo and Dr. Esang Akpanudo, and two younger brothers, Prof. Usenime Akpanudo and Dr. Sutoidem Akpanudo, she learnt diplomacy and strategic stakeholder engagement early in life. Mrs. Ukpanah’s early education was in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, where her father studied at the prestigious Vanderbilt University and her mother at Lipscomb University. Upon her family’s return to Nigeria, she was enrolled at Cornelia Connelly College, Uyo, a Catholic girls’ school that prides itself on cultivating strong moral character and excellence in young ladies. She earned her LLB from the University of Cross River State, now the University of Uyo, in 1989 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. She garnered significant professional experience in commercial law practice and litigation at different firms including Paul Usoro & Co. and Ukiri & Co. Before joining MTN, she had a fulfilling career in financial services, working in various roles including Assistant Company Secretary at United Bank for Africa Plc, where she was amongst other duties trusted with monitoring the Bank’s Global Depository Receipts programme, the first by any Nigerian bank. She served as the Acting Company Secretary of Mutual Trust Savings and Loans Limited and as Head of Legal and Administration at M&E Finance Limited. She did her National Youth Service Corps primary assignment at Value-Added Investments Limited.
As a governance professional, Mrs. Ukpanah has been actively involved in the development and implementation of corporate governance codes across various sectors in Nigeria. Some of these are as follows:
- Secretary to the Committee on Corporate Governance for Banks and Financial Institutions of the Bankers’ Committee, which developed the Corporate Governance Guidelines for that sector, subsequently adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2003.
- Member of the Committee that developed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies in Nigeria, 2011.
- Member of the Presidential Committee on the Codes of Corporate Governance for the Public, Private and Not-for-Profit Sectors, 2013.
- Member of the Technical Committee on Corporate Governance set up by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria that developed the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018.
In addition, Mrs. Ukpanah has been involved in developing global best practice guidelines, particularly under the umbrella of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), including the UNGC Guidelines for Sports Sponsorship and Hospitality. She has served as a member of the UNGC delegation to the Kingdom of Morocco, the Russian Federation, the Republic of South Africa, the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa and was a speaker during the 15th Anniversary of the UNGC at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
She sits on several boards serving as:
- Chairman, Board of Trustees, Obong University
- Board member, United Nations Global Compact Nigeria Network
- Co-founder of Cemuoa Limited, an agro-processing company with a significant impact on the cassava value chain, focusing on empowering farmers in rural communities.
- Director, Obong Foods and Beverages Limited.
In addition to ICSAN, she is a member of other professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. An alumnus of the Lagos Business School and a Certified Ethics Officer of The Ethics Institute/University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She attended several executive development programmes including the Leadership Training on Accountability, Ethics and Corporate Governance at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, University of Pittsburgh, Managing Ethics in Organisations at the Centre for Business Ethics, Bentley University as well as INSEAD Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Board Certification programme.
In June 2023, Uto was recognised and honoured as Woman of Excellence at the Top Performing Women Conference in Nigeria 2023. Uto was named the Company Secretary of the Year 2021 at the ESQ Nigerian Legal Awards.
She is the Vice President (Community Relations) of Cornelia Connelly College Old Girls Association; Treasurer, Great Osurua Alumni and Concerned Akwa Ibom Professionals in Lagos (CAKPIL). She is a Deaconess of the United Evangelical Church (founded as Qua Iboe Church). She chairs several committees in the Church, including the Education and Leadership, Finance and Empowerment, and Social Action Committees. She is a two-term President of the Women’s Fellowship of the Church, where she embedded structures for transparency and accountability.
Uto Ukpanah is passionate about digital and financial inclusion, particularly among women and youth in rural communities. She provides mentorship to students and young professionals, particularly women, embodying the values of excellence and leadership. She mentors through various channels, including the MTN Mentorship Program, WIMBOD, the Lagos Business School Alumni Mentorship Program, Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), and the Redefinition Network, United Evangelical Church.
Mrs. Ukpanah treasures her role as a wife and mother. She is married to Aniekan Ukpanah, the Senior Partner at the law firm of Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, who also serves as the Chairman of Lex Mundi, the oldest and largest global legal network of top-tier independent law firms. They have been married for over 31 years and are blessed with two sons, Kemfon, an entrepreneur, and Andifon, a legal practitioner.
