Former President of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Olusegun Osunkeye, has called on corporate leaders to adopt ethical governance practices and focus on building lasting leadership legacies that transcend quarterly results.

According to a statement, Osunkeye advocated ethical leadership while delivering a keynote lecture at the SCGN public lecture themed ‘Leadership Legacies: Advancing Good Governance for the Next Generation,’ held in honour of retired Directors Tijjani Borodo, Ibrahim Dikko, and Adetunji Oyebanji.

SCGN President, Mohammad Ahmad, who hosted the event, said the gathering aimed to spotlight the role of responsible leadership in shaping Nigeria’s corporate future.

Osunkeye charged leaders to pursue ethical standards, transparency, and accountability, stressing that leaders must prioritise long-term institutional sustainability over short-term financial gains.

“We will not be remembered for how we managed the quarter; we will be remembered for how we stewarded the future,” Osunkeye said.

He described good governance as a culture that must be embedded in the everyday practices of organisations.

According to him, governance should not be reduced to slogans but demonstrated through strategic and measurable actions.

“Organisations must behave themselves into the future. Corporate culture cannot be constructed from slogans alone; it must be embodied in measurable actions and behaviours that reflect strategic intent,” he added.

Osunkeye decried the corruption in the corporate space and called for governance structures to institutionalise integrity. He urged private sector leaders and regulators to tackle governance failures at their root.

Further, Osunkeye emphasised the importance of grooming successors and nurturing values that would outlive individual tenures.

“We are all temporary stewards of something permanent. Our influence may fade, but our impact must echo through the organizations we reform, the people we empower, and the values we embody,” he stated.

The former SCGN president urged leaders to see it as a duty to serve and create positive change that would benefit future generations.

“Be a transformational leader, have a vision, make an impact of positive change, and leave a legacy. Lead without compromising your values and ethics,” he concluded.