The 2025 Annual Directors Conference (ADC) of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria convened at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, bringing together boardroom leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to address one defining theme: Leading Through Change – Building Sustainable and Inclusive Enterprises.
Over two transformative days, the ADC became a forum for courage, collaboration, and clarity, a stage for directors to rethink leadership, governance, and enterprise resilience in a rapidly changing world.
A Presidential Call to Bold Leadership
“Leadership during transformation is not about maintaining the status quo but about charting bold, forward-looking paths.”
— President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
In his opening address, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, represented by The Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, CON, described the ADC as one of Nigeria’s most important platforms for dialogue on corporate governance and enterprise development.
He acknowledged the temporary discomfort brought by ongoing reforms but reaffirmed that they were laying “strategic foundations for innovation and national prosperity.”
The President urged directors to act as enablers of inclusion and transparency within their institutions, emphasising that true leadership in turbulent times demands courage, vision, and accountability.
He concluded by assuring continued government partnership: “Your deliberations will help shape a stronger, more inclusive, and prosperous Nigeria.”
CIoD President: Defining a New Era of Governance
“Working together, we can build a New Nigeria that is economically viable, sustainable, and prosperous for all.”
— Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, President, CIoD Nigeria
Welcoming delegates, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, President and Chairman of the Governing Council, reaffirmed the Institute’s leadership in promoting corporate governance excellence.
He highlighted the ADC as CIoDs flagship platform for thought leadership and advocacy and stressed that directors must embrace resilience, sustainability, and innovation as essential tools in today’s business environment.
Otunba Oyebanji applauded the President’s presence and reiterated that good governance remains the surest path to national prosperity. He urged participants to connect, collaborate, and share insights that will strengthen boardroom ethics and enterprise performance.
The Promise of Reforms and Resilience
Mr. Wale Edu, Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, gave an upbeat assessment of the Nigerian economy, reporting a 3.13% GDP growth in the first quarter of 2025.
“You are the architects of corporate vision. It is through your enterprises that reforms become real — where jobs are created, innovations emerge, and communities thrive.”
He commended the CIoD for promoting sound governance and highlighted fiscal and tax reforms designed to improve revenue and transparency. His charge to the directors was direct: sustainability and inclusion are not optional, they are competitive imperatives.
Keynote: Africa’s Leadership Moment
The atmosphere reached its peak when Dr Kola Adesina, MFR, FNSE, took the stage for his keynote address, titled “Nigeria and Africa’s Leadership Moment: From Boardroom to Nation-Building.”
“Africa still appears as a faint glow from space because the wires that connect our potential to productivity are still broken.”
Dr Adesina challenged directors to extend their leadership beyond the boardroom into nation-building. He praised the government’s economic reforms as evidence of leadership grounded in productivity, not populism.
He outlined Five Imperatives for Directors:
1. Fix the Rules – Ensure transparency and policy predictability.
2. Wire Inclusion and Ownership – Make inclusion a business model, not a slogan.
3. Build the Commons – Invest in power, infrastructure, and education.
4. Incentivize Innovation – Nurture Nigeria’s youthful potential.
5. Align with Government Priorities – Partner for measurable impact.
His closing challenge — “Will you use your influence to reform the rules and design inclusive models?” earned a standing ovation.
Alignment in Action During the Government Meets Business Dinner
Governance as Daily Discipline
“Governance is the unseen infrastructure that sustains enterprises and institutions.”
At the elegant Government Meets Business Dinner, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, Chairperson of Keystone Bank affirmed governance as a daily discipline rather than a periodic exercise.
She called for stronger alignment between government and business, noting that when both work with shared intent, “policy gains depth by listening to enterprise, and enterprise gains scale by aligning with policy.”
She reminded leaders that sustainability must be viewed as an investment in people and the planet. not as an expense.
The Synergy of Integrity
Prof. Uche Uwaleke, member of the Presidential Fiscal and Tax Reforms Committee, delivered a masterful keynote, identifying three pillars of synergistic leadership:
• Policy Predictability for business confidence;
• Governance as Trust, shared by both public and private sectors;
• Inclusive Growth as a deliberate strategy.
“Let us build a Nigeria where the rising tide truly lifts all boats.”
He praised the CIoD for promoting governance excellence and urged directors to serve as ambassadors of fiscal reform, integrity, and transparency.
Other Insights that Shaped the Conference
The 2025 ADC featured a line-up of distinguished speakers who added depth and direction to the discourse in the plenary and other sessions during the conference.
Mrs Didi Walson-Jack – Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
She outlined the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2025), aimed at building a “world-class Civil Service that is efficient, incorruptible, and citizen centred.” Her message was one of partnerships that private-sector success depends on public-sector efficiency, and vice versa.
Mrs Gladys Talabi, M.CIoD - Leadership That Lasts: Embedding Succession Planning into Board Strategy
Mrs Talabi opined that developing future leaders for long-term corporate success by focusing on succession planning and mentorship for sustainable leadership will ensure long-term success and sustainable growth.
Kunle Elebute, FCA – Strategic Foresight for Future-Ready Governance
Elebute warned that “reactive governance is failing boards.” He urged directors to embrace strategic foresight, using scenario planning, early warning systems, and data-driven decision-making. “Lead with curiosity, not certainty,” he declared, “and build anticipatory systems, not reactive ones.”
Adedotun Sulaiman – Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Risk and Resilience
Sulaiman defined resilience as “bouncing forward, not just bouncing back.” He encouraged boards to anticipate crises, build strong financial buffers, and embed recovery playbooks. His memorable closing challenge drew laughter and reflection alike: “There are three kinds of directors — those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Choose wisely.”.
Aisha Rimi, the CEO/Executive Secretary, NIPC – Stakeholder Synergy for Long-Term Resilience
She spoke on Stakeholder Synergy for Long-Term Resilience, advocating for inclusive strategies that align capital, policy, and people. He introduced the Stakeholder Value Matrix, urging directors to define value across shareholders, employees, and communities, a framework he called “the compass for resilient enterprises.
Moments of Gratitude and Commitment
Otunba Bimbola Ashiru, Chairman of the National Organising Committee (NOC), opened both the conference and the dinner with heartfelt words of gratitude. He commended the dedication of the CIoD Secretariat and the Governing Council, noting that the ADC had become “a catalyst for translating ideas into concrete action.”
He established the need for stronger collaboration between government and business, reminding guests that “effective governance and sustainable enterprise require synergy.”
His closing words captured the spirit of the event: “This dinner is not the end of the discussion, but the beginning of a renewed commitment to build a Nigeria that works for all.”
A Shared Covenant for Nigeria’s Future
As the curtains drew on the 2025 Annual Directors Conference, one truth stood tall: the future of Nigeria’s enterprise is being written in its boardrooms.
The CIoD Nigeria, through its unwavering advocacy for sound corporate governance, has once again reaffirmed its role as the nation’s foremost voice of ethical and visionary leadership.
From the Presidential charge to the insights of corporate and policy leaders, the ADC 2025 offered more than speeches and discussions; it offered direction, courage, and a shared covenant to build a Nigeria anchored on trust, integrity, inclusion, and innovation.
In the words of CIoD President Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, “We are not just directors of companies; we are directors of Nigeria’s future.”
And as the delegates departed with renewed resolve, the message of the 2025 ADC echoed powerfully across the nation: Leadership through change is not an option — it is the path to a sustainable and inclusive tomorrow.
Research Unit
Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria
28, Olawale Edun (Formerly Cameron Road), Ikoyi, Lagos