“CHARTING A NEW COURSE: NIGERIA’S TOP LEADERS CONVERGE FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AT ADC 2025”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS- THE Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (CIoD) recently concluded its 2025 Annual Directors’ Conference (ADC) at the Abuja Continental Hotel, bringing together prominent leaders from various sectors to discuss strategies for sustainable growth and development. The conference, themed “Leading Through Change: Building Sustainable and Inclusive Enterprises,” focused on addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges through effective governance and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
– Leadership Call to Action: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emphasized the need for bold leadership in times of transformation, highlighting the importance of innovation, prosperity, and inclusion.
– CIoD’s Role: The Institute’s President, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, reaffirmed CIoD’s commitment to promoting corporate governance and director development, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to build a sustainable and prosperous nation.
– Conference Highlights: The event featured keynote presentations, panel sessions, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for public and private sector leaders to share insights and best practices in governance and leadership
He urged directors to strengthen their commitment to ethical leadership, sustainability, and innovation as drivers of organizational and national progress.
High-Level Insights from the Boardroom to the Nation
The keynote address, delivered by Dr. Kola Adesina, MFR, FNSE, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, titled “Nigeria and Africa’s Leadership Moment: From Boardroom to Nation-Building,” challenged directors to extend their influence beyond organizations into nation-building.
“Africa still appears as a faint glow from space because the wires that connect our potential to productivity are still broken,” he said, calling for transparency, inclusion, innovation, and policy alignment as leadership imperatives for the continent’s growth.
Further enriching the conversations were Mr. Wale Edun, Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Mrs. Gladys Talabi, Non-Executive Director, Julius Berger Plc; Mr. Kunle Elebute, Chairman, Gerrard Capital Advisory; Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman, Former Chairman, Financial Reporting Council; and Aisha Rimi, Executive Secretary/CEO, NIPC — among others.
Governance Meets Business: A Night of Alignment
At the Government Meets Business Dinner, chaired by Lady Ada Chukwudozie, OON, Chairperson of Keystone Bank, leaders from government and business discussed the power of partnership in shaping national development.
“Governance is the unseen infrastructure that sustains enterprises and institutions,” Lady Chukwudozie noted, urging leaders to view sustainability as an investment, not a cost.
Also speaking, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, member of the Presidential Fiscal and Tax Reforms Committee, called for policy predictability, integrity, and inclusive growth as key levers for national stability and enterprise confidence.
Reinforcing the Spirit of Collaboration
Otunba Bimbola Ashiru, F.CIoD, Chairman, National Organising Committee, praised the success of the conference, describing it as “a catalyst for translating ideas into action.” He commended the CIoD Secretariat and partners for their dedication, emphasizing that “effective governance and sustainable enterprise require synergy between government and business.”
A Shared Covenant for Nigeria’s Future
As the conference drew to a close, delegates departed with renewed conviction. The 2025 ADC reinforced CIoD Nigeria’s mission as the nation’s foremost voice of corporate governance and leadership excellence.
“We are not just directors of companies; we are directors of Nigeria’s future,”
— Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, F.CIoD
The message from ADC 2025 is clear — leadership through change is not optional; it is the pathway to a sustainable and inclusive future.
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