FRC, Corporate Reporting Academy to Train Executives on Climate, ESG Reporting in London

The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), in collaboration with Corporate Reporting Academy, is set to hold a Global Executive Training Programme in London from September 21 to 25, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of senior public and private sector executives on emerging standards in accountability, sustainability, climate finance and ESG reporting.

The programme, which is themed “Building Capacity for the New Era of Public and Private Sector Accountability, Climate, Finance, and ESG Reporting,” is targeted at members of the National Assembly, heads of government agencies, chief executive officers, board members and senior executives in the private sector, senior public sector officials, accountants general and auditors, directors of finance in government agencies, as well as sustainability professionals and officers.

Dr. Iheanyi Anyahara, former Coordinating Director, Directorates of Accounting Standards (Public Sectors) and Sustainability Reporting Unit at the FRC and now Founder of Regulatory Compliance Readiness Advisors Limited, said the programme was designed to help senior executives understand the changing regulatory and reporting environment and make informed decisions.
According to him, sustainability reporting, green finance and technology are increasingly becoming critical components of effective organisational management.

“Sustainable reporting, green finance and technology are critical potent factors that move an organisation from a holistic point of view. Most enterprise risk management, for instance, focuses only on finance. But when you embed sustainability in real practice, it takes a holistic view of an organisation’s risks, including climate and other sustainability-related issues, and, of course, green financing,” Anyahara said in an interview.

He explained that organisations could no longer afford to view risk management solely through the prism of financial performance, noting that climate and other sustainability-related factors were increasingly affecting institutions and businesses.

The former FRC director said the ability to understand and respond to these emerging issues would become increasingly important for Nigerian organisations seeking to remain compliant, competitive and capable of accessing international opportunities.

He particularly identified green finance as an area where many Nigerian businesses still require greater capacity.

“A lot of Nigerian corporates don’t know how to assess the green funding being raised globally, so we believe that, having gone through the programme, they should be able to develop some capacity to access the funds,” he said.

The London programme is expected to provide participants with exposure to global perspectives and practical knowledge that can assist them in navigating the evolving requirements around financial and sustainability reporting.

Anyahara said the programme would also help bridge the knowledge gap between senior executives responsible for approving organisational reports and the technical teams that prepare them.

He stressed that senior executives should have sufficient understanding of emerging reporting requirements to properly assess and approve information presented to them by their subordinates.

The programme is coming after an earlier executive training programme held in Nairobi, Kenya, which, according to Anyahara, received an encouraging response from participants drawn from different sectors.

“The Nairobi one was the first one. When we were doing it, we were afraid that we were not going to make it. But the response and the participation were very overwhelming,” he said.

He explained that participants at the Nairobi programme eventually requested that the initiative become an annual event and that similar programmes be organised in Nigeria.

“So it was a very great success, and more especially, we brought in global resource experts who blended with African results and everybody. I had not seen any person saying it wasn’t a good success,” he added.

According to him, the London programme is being structured to build on the experience and lessons from the Nairobi edition.
He disclosed that no fewer than 40 participants had registered as preparations intensified for the London programme.
“We are bringing speakers from the standard setters and other practitioners who have passed through this to share their experience,” he said.

The collaboration between the FRC and Corporate Reporting Academy is expected to strengthen the quality and relevance of the programme.

Anyahara said the FRC identified Corporate Reporting Academy based on its pedigree and trajectory in the market, adding that both organisations were working together to ensure that the programme had the right structure, quality and resource persons.

With regulatory expectations around sustainability, climate and corporate accountability continuing to evolve, organisers believe the London programme will provide a platform for Nigerian decision-makers to improve their understanding of the issues and prepare their organisations for the emerging reporting environment.