Harley Reed was one of the proud Sponsors the inaugural Lagos Green Economy Conference on July 23rd, 2025, at Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, demonstrating the company’s unwavering commitment to advancing ESG implementation across Africa. This strategic sponsorship aligns with Harley Reed’s mission to help organisations across the continent comply with emerging ESG regulations and transform regulatory pressure into competitive advantage.
Harley Reed’s Nigeria team brought diverse expertise to the Lagos Green Economy Conference:
The team engaged with SMEs present at the event to discuss ESG opportunities and practical implementation strategies, facilitating valuable knowledge exchange on sustainable business practices and regulatory compliance pathways.
Themed “Sustainability in SME Businesses,” the conference addressed a critical challenge facing Africa’s economy. SMEs account for over 46.31% of Nigeria’s national GDP and 6.21% of the country’s gross export, yet most use fossil fuel for electricity production, contributing to environmental degradation. With Nigeria’s renewable electricity output currently at 18.2%, well below the 30% target by 2030, the conference highlighted urgent opportunities for SME transformation.
The Lagos Green Economy Forum served as a strategic convening of stakeholders committed to advancing Nigeria’s green economy through SME empowerment. Participants explored how to equip smaller enterprises with the tools, knowledge, networks, and finance needed to transition toward sustainability while maintaining competitiveness in global markets.
Key conference objectives included
Nigeria’s leadership position in ESG regulation provided compelling context for the conference discussions. The country has become the first African nation to adopt IFRS S1 and S2 sustainability disclosure standards, officially releasing its national roadmap in March 2024 with a phased implementation approach starting with voluntary adoption and mandatory requirements for Public Interest Entities from 2028.
This regulatory leadership creates both unprecedented opportunities and existential risks for Nigerian businesses. According to the Business Continuity Institute 2024 survey, almost 80% of organisations experienced supply chain disruptions in the past twelve months, yet organisations with embedded ESG criteria in their supplier selection and due diligence processes recovered most swiftly from disruptions.
The ESG regulatory wave isn’t coming—it’s here. As Grace Onosode (Harley Reed Nigeria Country Director) in her speech at the ESG Nigeria Forum observed, “Those who embrace ESG today will own the supply chains of tomorrow.”
The IFRS S1 and S2 standards represent a fundamental shift in business reporting:
For Nigerian leaders, this means CFOs must prepare sustainability disclosures alongside financial reporting, with the Financial Reporting Council imposing fines up to ₦25 million (approximately $20,000) for non-compliance.
Harley Reed’s sponsorship of the Lagos Green Economy Conference reflects our commitment to advancing sustainable business practices across Africa. Our Nigeria team’s active participation demonstrated the practical expertise and collaborative approach that helps organisations move from ESG awareness to implementation success.
International investors increasingly require sustainability compliance. Supply chain disruptions continue exposing hidden vulnerabilities. The question every procurement, supply chain, risk, and finance leader must ask: “Can your organisation afford not to be ready?”
Building on the momentum from the Lagos Green Economy Conference, Harley Reed invites senior leaders to join a comprehensive ESG implementation workshop in Johannesburg from September 22-26, 2025.
This isn’t another conference about why ESG matters—it’s a practical workshop focused entirely on how to make it work in your organisation. Using Harley Reed’s proven UCADE methodology (Understand, Conduct, Assess, Design, Embed), participants will move from ESG awareness to implementation mastery.
Join senior leaders from across Africa in Johannesburg this September for practical, hands-on ESG supply chain training that transforms compliance burden into competitive advantage.
Contact Harley Reed today for full workshop details and group registration packages. Visit www.harleyreed.com or email training@harleyreed.com
Harley Reed operates across the UK, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire, helping organisations transform ESG regulatory requirements into strategic competitive advantages through practical implementation expertise and collaborative partnerships.
Also read: https: The Crucial Role of ESG in Business Growth and Sustainability in Nigeria
