MTN Nigeria’s Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, has been named the first-ever winner of the “Global Corporate Secretary of the Year’’ award by the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).
She was honoured with the award at an event on April 23, 2024, in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia.
The CSIA Global Awards was instituted to recognise the efforts of corporate secretaries and governance professionals that not only impact their organisations but also international platforms.
Of the three main award categories- Global Corporate Secretary of the Year, Rising Corporate Secretary of the Year and Governance Professional of the Year, Ukpanah was awarded the Global Corporate Secretary of the Year for her hard work, diligence and professionalism by distinguished jury of expert practitioners and thought leaders in the corporate governance field.
The Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria Karl Toriola, congratulating her on the recognition, said, “At MTN, we understand the critical role strong governance plays in driving sustainable growth and fostering trust among stakeholders.
Ukpanah’s exemplary leadership underscores our commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency. We are proud of Ukpanah’s commitment to corporate governance. She deserves the recognition.”
Ukpanah, the pioneer winner of this award has worked with MTN Nigeria for over 18 years.
She is a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in company and commercial law. Her contributions in developing sustainable corporate governance structures in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors have been instrumental in fostering transparency and ethical business practices.
Ukpanah’s dedication to ethics and corporate social responsibility advisory services has positioned her as a respected leader in the industry, driving positive change and setting high standards for corporate excellence.
This is seen in her active participation on the ‘Code of Corporate Governance Committee,’ ‘9to5 Woman,’ ‘Bankers Committee on Corporate Governance’, among others.
