Akwa Ibom State Accountant General, Pastor Uwem Andrew-Essien receiving the Icons Award from the President of ICAN.
The Accountant General of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Uwem Andrew-Essien, has been recognised and decorated with the Icons Award, the highest professional recognition in Accounting profession, given by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Pastor Andrew-Essien was decorated with a gold medal and given a plaque for his outstanding professional integrity and excellence during the Annual Dinner Awards Night held by the Institute on Saturday 16 May 2026, to round-off its 61st Annual General Meeting in Lagos State.
ICAN, Nigeria’s foremost body for the regulation of Accountancy profession was established in 1965, to determine the standards of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become members of the profession and to regulate their conducts.
Pastor Andrew-Essien was one of the three individuals recognised in the Members’ Category of icons of the Institute for the year 2026.
Two others who were honoured in this category were, Dr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, the Accountant General of the Federation, and Dr. Odunayo Ani, Director, Financial Services Department, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
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Also, four other prominent Nigerians were honoured in the non-members’ category for their contributions to national development. They were, the Governor of Niger State, Mr. Umar Bago, the GMD & CEO of United Bank of Africa Group, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, the CEO, AXA Mansard Insurance PLC and Chairman, Nigeria Insurers Association, Mr. Kunle Ahmed, and the Founder and Chairman of, Board of Trustees of Amadeus University, Dr. Godwin Nwabunka.
The prestigious icons awards also called merit awards represent the pinnacle of recognition for professional integrity and excellence, lifelong impact in fiscal governance and national development, by ICAN.
Nominees for the award emerge through a rigourous, peer-reviewed selection process.
The prerequisites and guidelines for the icon award (members’ category) which Pastor Andrew-Essien was inducted to, indicate that a nominee must have reached the peak of accounting practice, must be nominated by at least two members of the Institute who shall provide evidence of the nominee’s outstanding contributions to the Institute at the national, regional and international levels as well as the nominee’s contributions to the nation and his state.
The nomination must be sponsored and supported by other members.
Successful nominees are announced ahead of the annual dinner and awards night, and those in the members’ category are decorated with a gold medal and presented a plaque during the awards night, while those in the non-members’ category are given a plaque.
In the week preceding the event, ICAN published in major national newspapers the names and photos of nine individuals and two corporate entities, celebrating them as ICAN Icons for the year 2026.
