By Babajide Komolafe

The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRC, has announced plans to host its 2026 Audit and Assurance Leadership Summit, with stakeholders expected to examine the impact of Artificial Intelligence, AI, on audit quality, corporate governance and the reliability of financial reporting.

The summit, themed “Audit Integrity in the AI Era: Independence, Accountability and Reliable Financial Reporting,” is scheduled to hold on August 13 in Lagos.

In a statement, the Council said the event would bring together regulators, audit professionals, corporate executives, academics, investors, technology experts, policymakers and governance practitioners to deliberate on the opportunities and risks associated with the growing adoption of AI in audit and assurance.

According to the FRC, rapid technological advancement is reshaping business operations and financial reporting, making auditor independence, professional scepticism, accountability and audit integrity more important than ever.

The Council said the summit would provide a platform for high-level discussions on strengthening audit quality, governance frameworks and public confidence in financial reporting in an increasingly AI-driven economy.

It stated that participants would benefit from keynote presentations by leading local and international experts, regulatory and policy updates on the future of audit and assurance, as well as strategic sessions on AI, professional ethics and audit quality.

The summit will also feature practical discussions on improving assurance processes, governance standards and financial reporting reliability, alongside networking opportunities involving regulators, industry leaders and other key stakeholders.

According to the FRC, the event is targeted at audit and assurance professionals, chief executive officers, chief finance officers, executive directors, audit committee members, internal auditors, regulators, investors, financial analysts, academics, corporate governance practitioners, technology professionals and other public and private sector stakeholders.

The Council urged interested participants to register ahead of the event through its online registration portal, stressing that the summit would provide an important national platform for shaping the future of audit integrity and strengthening public trust in Nigeria’s financial reporting ecosystem in the era of Artificial Intelligence.