In a statement made available to the media in Lagos, FITC stated that this year’s conference will hold in Lagos with the theme: “Building a Sustainable Africa: Integrating Environmental Stewardship, Social Impact, and Strong Governance for a Prosperous Future”.

“The conference, themed will bring together a distinguished community of sustainability thought leaders, corporate executives, governance experts, regulators, development finance professionals, policymakers, investors, and ecosystem enablers committed to accelerating sustainable development across Africa,” said Dr. Chizor Malize, MD/CEO, FITC.

She said,

“As sustainability continues to shape business strategy, investment decisions, and public policy globally, organizations across Africa are increasingly expected to create value while addressing environmental challenges, social development priorities, and governance responsibilities,” Dr. Malize added.

The growing demand for sustainable business practices, responsible investment frameworks, and transparent governance structures has elevated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations from a corporate aspiration to a strategic imperative.

Acording to her,

“The conference is designed and delivered by the FITC Sustainability & ESG Institute. The FITC Sustainability & ESG Institute Advisory Board includes Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, Senior Partner, Kenna Partners and Chairman, Guinness Nigeria PLC; Dr. Chizor Malize, MD/CEO, FITC; Soromidayo George, Director, Corporate Affairs & Sustainable Business; Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB); Dr. Henrietta Onwueguzia, Director, Business Innovation Accelerator; Olufemi Shobanjo, Chief Executive Officer, NGX Regulation Limited; Olufemi Awoyemi, Board Chairman, Proshare Nigeria; Tinuade Awe, Experienced Attorney and Governance Consultant; and Osayi Alile, Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation.”

Dr. Malize, who revealed that the conference is supported by a distinguished Planning Committee that comprises sustainability & ESG practitioners and industry thought leaders which includes: Ayotola O. Jagun, Executive Director, Oando Plc; Dr. Chizor Malize, MD/CEO, FITC; Soromidayo George, Director, Corporate Affairs & Sustainable Development, CocaCola HBC Nigeria; Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, Chair in Sustainable Finance & Governance; Olufemi Shobanjo, CEO, NGX Regulation Limited; Chioma Afe, Director, External Affairs, Seplat Energy; Titilope Oguntuga, Director, Sustainability IHS Towers; Lolade Awogbade, Assistant Vice President, Sustainability Specialist, DBN; Ebisan Akinsanya, Coordinator, Corporate Responsibility & National Programs, Chevron; Chinwe Ifechiga, Social Performance Advisor, Total Energies; James Adenuga, Group Chief HSE & Sustainability Officer, Dangote Industries Limited; Oreoluwa Famurewa, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Friesland Campina; Osayi Alile, Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation, stated that  together, these distinguished professionals bring extensive expertise spanning sustainability strategy, climate finance, ESG reporting, corporate governance, environmental management, social investment, public policy, responsible business leadership, and enterprise transformation.

Their collective insights continue to shape a conference agenda that is practical, forward-looking, implementation-focused, and aligned with the realities of sustainable development across Africa.

One of the key highlights of this year’s conference is the Sustainability & ESG Titans Plenary, themed “Building a Sustainable Africa: From Commitment to Action.”

This session will explore how organizations can move beyond sustainability commitments to measurable actions that deliver long-term environmental, social, and economic value.

Discussions will focus on implementation strategies, accountability frameworks, stakeholder collaboration, and the practical pathways required to accelerate sustainable transformation across Africa.

The conference agenda will further examine how environmental stewardship can be leveraged to enhance business resilience, drive sustainable growth, and secure long-term prosperity, with conversations centered on climate action, resource efficiency, responsible environmental management, and the role of sustainability in strengthening organizational competitiveness.

Participants will also explore the importance of strategic social investment as a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development and shared prosperity, focusing on how organizations can create meaningful social impact through inclusive development initiatives, community engagement, human capital development, and purposeful investments that generate measurable outcomes for society.

Speaking further to the upcoming conference, the CEO of FITC, highlighted the growing need for organizations to move beyond sustainability commitments towards deliberate action and measurable impact.

“Sustainability is no longer a peripheral consideration; it is a strategic imperative for building resilient organizations, thriving communities, and prosperous economies. As Africa navigates increasingly complex environmental, social, and governance challenges, the focus must shift from intention to execution. Building a sustainable future requires collective action, responsible leadership, innovative thinking, and strong partnerships across sectors.

“The 2026 FITC Sustainability & ESG Conference provides a unique platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share practical solutions, and accelerate the actions needed to drive sustainable transformation across the continent.”

Over the years, the FITC Sustainability & ESG Conference has evolved into a leading platform for advancing sustainability conversations, promoting responsible business practices, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders committed to Africa’s sustainable future.

The conference has consistently brought together leaders from the public and private sectors to address pressing sustainability challenges and identify opportunities for collective action.

This year’s conference is expected to deepen those conversations by creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration.

Participants will gain access to high-level networking opportunities, actionable insights, and practical frameworks designed to strengthen ESG integration, support sustainable value creation, and accelerate positive environmental and social outcomes.

The conference will also provide a unique opportunity for stakeholders to engage in investment conversations, regulatory discussions, and partnership-building initiatives that can drive sustainable transformation across industries and sectors.

As Africa continues to navigate the complex intersection of economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social development, the FITC Sustainability & ESG Conference 3.0 remains committed to supporting organizations and leaders in building resilient institutions, responsible enterprises, and thriving communities.

The third edition of scheduled to be held on July 8th, 2026 in Lagos.

In a statement released to the media, FITC stated that the theme for this year’s event, titled “Securing Tomorrow: Cyber Resilience, Intelligent Defense and the Architecture of Trust in a Borderless World’ will commence on October 22^nd, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Dr. Chizor Malize, MD/CEO of FITC said, “Cybercrime has become one of the most urgent threats facing Africa’s digital economy. From sophisticated fraud schemes in the financial services sector to cross-border ransomware attacks on governments and businesses, the cost of cyber insecurity is mounting at an alarming pace.”

In response, she revealed that FITC, Africa’s foremost knowledge and innovation-led institution, in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), will be hosting this year’s conference.

This year’s theme, “Securing Tomorrow: Cyber Resilience, Intelligent Defense and the Architecture of Trust in a Borderless World,” reflects the critical need to strengthen Africa’s cyber defenses as digital transformation accelerates across every sector, she said.

The African digital economy is experiencing an unprecedented surge. Mobile payments, blockchain adoption, digital lending, and cross-border e-commerce are reshaping the financial and commercial landscape. Yet, this rapid expansion has come with staggering risks.

According to the African Union’s Cybersecurity Outlook 2024, cybercrime costs the continent an estimated $4 billion annually, with Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa accounting for more than half of the losses.

Criminals are shifting from high-volume attacks to precision-targeted strikes that exploit systemic vulnerabilities. In Nigeria alone, industry reports reveal multi-billion-naira losses linked to phishing, insider collusion, ransomware, and large-scale fraud schemes that directly undermine trust in financial services.

“As Africa moves boldly into the digital age, its economic future depends on one word, trust,” adding that “ThinkNnovation 2025 is not just another conference; it is a platform for urgent dialogue and concrete action. We must design cyber resilience into every layer of our systems, payments, identity, regulation, and infrastructure, if Africa is to secure its digital tomorrow.”

The ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference 2025 is designed as a response platform, bringing together regulators, CIOs, CISOs, CROs, bank executives, fintech founders, policymakers, and international experts to confront the continent’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges.

Unlike generic tech events, ThinkNnovation is structured as a solution-driven convening, with sessions curated to foster actionable strategies, policy frameworks, and collaborative defenses. Delegates will engage through high-level keynotes, dynamic plenary discussions, investigative panels, and simulation exercises that replicate real-world attack scenarios on financial networks.

The conference programme will spotlight urgent themes at the intersection of security, trust, and digital growth, including: The New Face of Financial Crime – Moving from fraud volume to fraud value, and how institutions can adapt defenses.

Others are Zero Trust in Practice, Applying zero trust principles across payments, digital identity, and authentication systems, Cybersecurity & Regulation – Smart oversight as a pathway to systemic stability, the Human Factor, Insider threats, workforce readiness, and cultivating a security-first culture, the Global Lens, Insights from global breaches and lessons for Africa’s financial ecosystem, and Emerging Risks – AI-driven threats, deepfakes, and the vulnerabilities of next-gen technologies.

The central thesis of ThinkNnovation is that cyber resilience cannot be achieved in isolation. Across Africa, the financial ecosystem has become deeply interconnected, with banks, fintechs, regulators, telcos, and governments increasingly reliant on shared infrastructure and digital platforms. In this environment, the actions, or inactions, of one institution can have ripple effects across entire markets.

Over the years, institutions such as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) have played a pivotal role in fostering collective defenses and standardizing frameworks that enable safer, more efficient digital transactions across the financial services industry.

These efforts underscore a growing recognition that fragmented approaches are no longer sufficient in the face of cybercriminal networks that are global, coordinated, and constantly evolving.

The ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference 2025 builds on this momentum by providing a neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. It is designed to enable stakeholders to move beyond conversations and toward practical solutions, whether through the development of joint cybersecurity frameworks, the issuance of policy communiqués, or the creation of new public-private partnerships.