Lagos: Mr. Joshua Oderinde, the former Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ikeja district, has called on accounting professionals to enhance their ICT skills and integrate digital tools to maintain competence, ethical standards, innovation, and global relevance.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Oderinde made this statement during the 2025 International Accounting Day celebration in Lagos. In his speech titled ‘The Role of Chartered Accountants In The Past, The Present and Future Market’s Expectations,’ he highlighted the significance of International Accounting Day as a platform to discuss the evolving role of accountants in the profession.
Oderinde provided an insight into the history, evolution, and importance of International Accounting Day, stressing the need for accountants to adapt to economic, technological, regulatory, and societal changes while upholding ethical standards as financial integrity guardians. He elaborated on how technology has transformed the role
of accountants and the necessity for modern chartered accountants to blend financial expertise with digital proficiency.
He outlined the essential skills required for chartered accountants and emphasized the importance of continuous learning, retraining, and adopting forward-looking standards to remain relevant. Oderinde stated, “While technology and markets evolve, the core value of the Chartered Accountant, trust, remains timeless. The chartered accountant of the future is digitally skilled, ethically grounded, strategically minded, and globally relevant.”
Oderinde further discussed the impact of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and blockchain on auditing techniques. He mentioned the expected increase in the prominence of IFRS sustainability disclosure standards in financial reporting and the need for future chartered accountants to develop forensic accounting skills and cyber fraud prevention methods.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of regular knowle
dge enhancement and the interdisciplinary adoption of social media tools for communication while maintaining the profession’s core ethics.