The handover ceremony highlighted progress made in the past two years under Mr Zumasigee and the priorities of Mr Omari-Mireku as he takes office. 

Mr Zumasigee said certification of auditors was still central to raising professional standards. 

“If we certify our members, they will be able to do their work well; they will uncover even more infractions, and when they have to make recommendations, they will be able to come up with better corrective actions,” he said.

Achievements

Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Zumasigee highlighted achievements in examinations, standards adoption and international engagement. 

He explained that under his leadership, chartered accountants were given the opportunity to write a challenge exam, allowing them to fast-track their certification.

He added that Ghana actively contributed to the development of the Global Internal Audit Standards and was one of the first countries to adopt them. 

“When the standards were rolled out, Ghana was one of the first countries that adopted these Global Internal Audit Standards for use in our country. That is to tell you that we were very active in our global relations,” he said.

According to him, Ghana’s IIA has built a strong reputation across the continent. “When you go to any country, you mention Ghana, they see Ghana as a high-flyer, one of the high-flying institutes of internal auditors that they can learn from,” he said.

On local engagements, Mr Zumasigee said the IIA worked closely with the Internal Audit Agency to develop a manual to guide public sector practice, and deliberately partnered with other professional bodies, including the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Engineers, during its 2025 conference.

He also pointed to training on the new global standards. 

“We ran six webinars and other training sessions, but we need to get through this with internal auditors, so that people are familiar with what we are doing,” he said.

Looking ahead, Mr Zumasigee urged the institute to strengthen collaboration with regulatory bodies such as the Bank of Ghana, National Insurance Commission and Ghana Revenue Authority, while also contributing to legislation and national dialogue.

Vision

Mr Omari-Mireku, who now leads the institute, said his focus would be on strengthening the foundation laid by his predecessors and adapting to global changes in the profession.

“For the past 25 years, a good foundation has been laid by the predecessors, the past council and members to bring the institute this far,” he said.

He added that his leadership would build on the theme: “Rooted in Strength, Brighter Future.” 

“Rooted in strength in the sense that a good foundation has been laid so far as our governance processes are concerned. For internal audits in Ghana and across the world, governance, risk management and control are key to us. So this needs to be strengthened as far as the Institute is concerned,” he said.

Innovation

Mr Omari-Mireku said collaboration with key stakeholders would remain a priority, both locally and internationally. 

“We need to enhance that collaboration with our key stakeholders, with regulatory bodies, with the African Federation of the Institute of Internal Auditors, with the global body,” he said.

He noted that emerging issues such as automation and digitalisation meant the IIA must innovate.

“Globally, things are changing. There are trending matters when it comes to automation and computerisation. So as a result, we ourselves need to innovate as far as our processes are concerned,” he said.

He stressed the need for members’ support in building a stronger institute.

“Together, we can build a stronger Institute that is more professional,” he said.