The Role of Company Secretaries in Promoting Corporate Governance in Listed Firms in Lagos

This study investigates the role of company secretaries in promoting corporate governance practices in listed firms in Lagos, Nigeria. Company secretaries occupy a unique position at the interface of board administration, regulatory compliance, and shareholder communication. In Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Secretaries and the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria have outlined specific governance responsibilities for company secretaries, yet empirical evidence on how effectively these roles are performed remains limited. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, with questionnaires administered to sixty company secretaries and corporate governance officers of listed firms in Lagos. Interview data from ten company secretaries supplement the primary quantitative data. Governance performance is assessed across dimensions of board meeting administration, statutory compliance, shareholder communication, and ethics facilitation. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The study anticipates that company secretaries in firms with adequate independence and resources perform governance facilitation roles more effectively. Findings will guide professional associations, listed companies, and the Securities and Exchange Commission in defining and enforcing the governance roles of company secretaries. This research enriches the South West corporate governance literature and contributes to understanding a relatively understudied governance actor. Keywords: company secretary, corporate governance, listed firms, board administration, Lagos.