NSE releases 2015 sustainability report

Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has released its 2015 Sustainability Report titled “Ushering in a new era of sustainability in the Nigerian market place”.

The report which is the second edition, demonstrates how The Exchange showcases the importance of sustainable business practices in delivering value and supporting economic growth.

The report is in accordance to the Global Reporting Initiative G4 Guidelines and aligns with the Exchange’s Corporate Social Responsibility framework which covers the four key impact areas it has devoted attention and resources.

The first area is the Market Place, which The NSE through the promotion of market-based approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives amongst all its stakeholders, have achieved, the assessment and rating of all companies on the premium board using the Corporate Governance Rating System and the Execution of advanced capital market awareness programme in over 50 Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The second area highlighted, is the Community, which according to The NSE, positive contributions have been made towards the communities where we live and work. Successes achieved include: The implementation of 172 Financial Literacy programmes across the nation, reaching 15,000 people. The launch of Adopt-A-School Programme at Oke-Odo High School, Lagos. “Under the pilot scheme, 52 teachers were trained on soft skills, information & communication technology and financial intelligence; 250 students participated in career workshop; and a Learning and Development Centre was donated to the school.”. The NSE also embarked on a book donation programme through which 50 Federal and State Universities benefitted from, the organisation of the 2nd edition of the NSE Corporate Challenge with over 500 runners and over 27 million impressions on twitter and a Closing Gong ceremony held in March 2015 to commemorate International Women’s Day in partnership with SSE Initiative, United Nations Global Compact.

the area of workplace: “The NSE as a responsible employer fosters engaging and high performing work environment that facilitates diversity, wellbeing and development of our people. During this period, the CSR Champions Network and Employee Volunteering Scheme was launched and 21 percent of employees signed up for the Employee Volunteering programme, and Employees at all levels participated in 93 training and development programmes”.

The fourth area which is the Environment, The NSE said it “is committed to reducing the impact of its operations on the environment. Through an environmental management approach, the Exchange has been able to achieve 70 percent of lighting load reduction and 20 percent overall energy savings, translating to 1,392,717 kilowatts saved from July to December, 2015 and Recycle 8 percent of waste generated at the NSE”

Commenting on the report, the Chief Executive Officer of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, said that “as we strive to create durable wealth for our stakeholders, the NSE continues to highlight the importance of sustainable business practices in delivering value and supporting economic growth. In 2015, we continued the holistic implementation and integration of the NSE Corporate Sustainability Strategy into our day-to-day operations, in order to effectively manage risks and business development opportunities. While we are pleased to report that we have held ourselves accountable to the highest standards, we are also intensifying our advocacy efforts to support the integration of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives in the Nigerian capital market.”

The achievements of The Nigerian Stock Exchange are not lost on key local and international observers. The Exchange received four awards in 2015 in recognition of its game changing initiatives in promoting ESG and transparency and they are: African Regulator of the Year Award; Award for promoting best practice reporting and corporate disclosure; Financial Institution of the Year; Best Corporate Social Responsibility Award.