By Joy Joseph and Onyekachi Agu

The Vice-Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie has commended the Department of Accountancy of the university on its maiden International Conference.

The Department of Accountancy held her first international conference between 2nd and 3rd July 2024 at the Prof Julius Onah Auditorium at Agbani, Enugu State.

Themed: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Sustainability Reporting: Implications for the Accounting Profession and Stakeholder Value Creation”, the conference drew creme de la creme in financial and accounting sectors in in Nigeria including the President of ICAN, DCS Alaribe; the Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Dr Rabiu Olowo 2ho was the key-note speaker as well as the Director-General, College of Accountancy, Jos, Dr Friday Akpan.

Declaring the conference open on Tuesday, the Vice-Chancellor said that he has glad to see that his directive that departments and faculties are conducting either national or international conference at least once every year is yielding fruits.

While commending Accountancy Department for their efforts in organising their maiden international conference, Prof Okooie noted that the only two departments that have keyed into the programme are headed by women.

“I want to say it loud and clear, that I am very much happy with Accountancy Department. You have been able to justify the management’s stand on the need for departments and faculties to organize at least one national or international conference each year. So far, the two departments that have held theirs are headed by women. This is perhaps an indication that next time we will be shopping for those to head departments, we would give priority to women because they are setting the pace,” he said

He commended the head of the department, Prof Uche Onyekwelu for being able to sustain the department’s two journals and promised to upgrade them to TetFund funded journals.

“I want to thank the HOD for sustaining the journals. I promise you that we are going to upgrade the two journals so that they will be Tetfund funded. This is part of the things I want to be seen and do as a member of the Tetfund Research Committee.”

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Head of Department, Accountancy, Professor Uche Onyekwelu said the essence of the conference was to draw all the players in the accounting and financial sectors to chart a new part on how to maximize the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI), checkmate the threats it poses on Human Intelligence (HI) and be able to put accounting profession on a good pedestal for effective and efficient financial accounting prudence.