12th November, 2010
The World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) 2010 ended Thursday, November 11 as colourfully as it opened three days earlier and the over 6000 participants departed the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur with fond memories that will last a long time. Not many of them will forget Nigeria in a hurry because at least 800 Nigerians were part of the over 6000 delegates from 134 countries who had registered before the opening ceremony on Monday, November 8 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia.
As a matter of fact, apart from Malaysia, the host country, Nigeria had the largest number of participants. Of the 800 Nigerians, more than 500 were Fellows and Associates of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, whose Immediate Past President, Chief (Mrs.) Elizabeth Adegite, was among the speakers at one of the congress concurrent sessions. Adegite’s contribution was on the subject of “Strengthening the Accounting Profession in Emerging Economiesâ€.
As the delegates left the hall after the closing ceremony, taking pictures, exchanging complimentary cards, the parting phrase for some was “See you in Rome “. But for Nigerians, the question was: When will it be Nigeria’s turn to host the Accountants’ Olympics (as the World Congress of Accountants is fondly called)?†Even before the closing ceremony, the preparation, publicity and registration for WCOA 2014 which will be held in Rome from November 10 to 14 had begun.
WCOA 2010 was declared open amid pomp and pageantry by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Honourable Dato Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak who was ably represented at the occasion by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Nor Mohammed Yakcop. The PM was unavoidably absent having just been discharged from the hospital a day before the event.
The ICAN President, Major General Sebastian Owuama also led key ICAN members also to make donations in support of the IFAC environmental initiative launched by the IFAC President, Robert Bunting through a symbolic gesture of planting trees which the delegates bought into. The donations would be the Accountants’ contribution towards boosting the tree planting effort of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia.
Apart from being part of the technical sessions, ICAN members were also part of the various side attractions and sporting activities such as the Labuan IBFC golf challenge at the Exhibition hall at which the ICAN President won a Callaway FT9 Driver.
In appreciation of the participation of the Nigerian accountants, the Nigeria High Commissioner in Malaysia, His Excellency Peter Anegbeh, organised a very successful dinner for them at his residence where they were treated to all manners of Nigerian dishes and music.