Polaris Bank Calls On Auditors To Acquire IT, Digital Skills

Adekunle Sonola, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Polaris Bank Limited, has urged audit professionals to begin to build and acquire IT and digital skills to be relevant and add value in the digital age.

Segun Opeke, the Executive Director, Lagos Business, who represented Sonola gave the advice at the 54th quarterly meeting of the Association Of Chief Audit Executives Of Banks In Nigeria in Lagos with the theme ‘Cybersecurity threats & the challenges of building a sustainable financial sector: The way forward'.

“From my perspective, some of the following issues will aid our contribution to managing cyber security risks and their related threats to financial services:

“The audit function can no longer remain analogue and gather loads of files and documents to review transactions and events after the fact.

"To be relevant and truly add value in this digital age, audit professionals must begin to build and acquire IT and digital skills.

"We have to move the audit function to the cutting edge of technology and begin to speak languages like machine learning, AI, cloud computing, IoT, as core levers of your trade.

"When technology solutions and applications are being conceived to meet operational or business needs in our institutions, the audit function must be actively involved in that process and ensure that audit capabilities are built into technology solutions in a manner that satisfies audit objectives.”