Lagos: Management professionals have identified sound management principles as critical to transforming Nigeria’s human and institutional potential into sustainable national development. They made this known on Wednesday in Lagos at the Nigerian Institute of Management Chartered (NIM) 65th anniversary colloquium.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event had the theme, ‘Celebrating National Impact of Management Excellence in Nigeria.’ The Chairman, Blackcod Asset Management Group, Dr. Bimbo Ashiru, emphasized that management is central to every human endeavor. He highlighted that effective planning, resource allocation, coordination, accountability, and performance measurement are essential to achieving desired outcomes.
He explained that management begins with individuals and extends to organizations, institutions, and the wider society. ‘When you combine excellent managers with excellent management systems, transformation does not merely happen; it happens faster, more consistently and, importantly, becomes sustainable,’ he said.
Ashiru identified corporate governance, capacity building, sustainability, and technology and optimization as four principles required for sustainable management excellence. He noted that these principles reinforce one another, with good governance creating trust, capacity building developing capability, technology providing leverage, and sustainability ensuring continuity.
Ashiru described NIM as a repository of management knowledge and experience, as well as a platform for developing professionals capable of influencing institutions positively. He stated that the institute’s responsibility goes beyond teaching individuals to manage organizations to contribute to stronger organizations, institutions, and the nation. He emphasized that Nigeria has intelligent, talented, and ambitious people but needs to organize its people, institutions, and resources to consistently convert talent into results. ‘People drive change. Systems sustain change. Management connects the two,’ he added.
He urged NIM members to uphold high standards of integrity and excellence, stating that management excellence should be regarded as a standard rather than an aspiration. President of NIM, Retired Commodore Abimbola Ayuba, mentioned that the Institute’s 65th anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate its contributions to professional management practice and national development.
Ayuba highlighted that about 200,000 individuals and 400 corporate organizations had passed through the Institute’s membership process over the years. He described NIM as the largest multidisciplinary professional management institute in Africa, committed to management capacity building and leadership development. According to him, NIM has provided professional management, consultancy, re-engineering, and human capital development solutions to organizations across the public and private sectors. He added that the institute had contributed to governance through public advocacy programs and activities aimed at providing workable solutions to national challenges.
The Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Kano State, Mr. Suleiman Shanono, stated that effective management is critical to achieving development objectives, particularly in states with large civil services and limited resources. Shanono stressed that organizations and governments must clearly define their current position and desired destination while ensuring that the right people are deployed to the right positions. He noted that applying fundamental managerial skills and principles could help governments achieve significant goals despite resource constraints.
The Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Dr. Funke Adepoju, affirmed the organization’s commitment to building competencies required to bridge management gaps, particularly in the public sector. The Managing Director of Elshcon Nigeria Ltd., Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, asserted that Nigeria’s huge potential could only be translated into desirable outcomes through management excellence. Membere-Otaji highlighted clear strategies for expansion, diversification, and competitive advantage as essential to converting national potential into sustainable economic outcomes. He also advocated for a people-centered healthcare management system, digitalization, evidence-based healthcare, and improved management of access to funding. He concluded that effective management is necessary for Nigeria to maximize its resources and deliver better outcomes across critical sectors.