The Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) has called on Nigerians to embrace trust and accountability in leadership as essential foundations for national progress.
This charge was made during the Institute’s 2025 Fellows’ Awards and Spouses’ Day Luncheon, held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Themed ‘Building Trust and Accountability: The Human Element of Decentralised Command with Divisional Structure,’ the event brought together newly inducted Fellows, past presidents of the Institute, and industry leaders.
In his opening remarks, president and chairman of council, Abimbola Ayuba, congratulated the newly elected Fellows, urging them to see the recognition not as a destination but as a call to higher responsibility and service to the Institute, the management profession, and the nation.
“I implore you not to be content with just adding the appellation FNIM to your names, but to view it as a mandate to lead with integrity,” Ayuba said. He also announced the establishment of a new NIM Resource Centre, envisioned as a digital hub for information and management practice.
Guest speaker, Babalola Akintunde Egbedina said that trust and accountability remained central to effective leadership in decentralised management structures. He stressed the need for clear communication, transparency, empowerment, and defined responsibilities to strengthen accountability.
While noting the rising influence of Artificial Intelligence, Egbedina maintained that technology cannot replace the originality and uniqueness of the human element in management. “The human being remains the most important of the 3Ms of management—materials, money, and man,” he said.
Chairman of the Board of Fellows, Stella Olaniyan, highlighted that accountability begins at the personal level, urging individuals to cultivate trustworthiness in their daily lives before seeking to influence organizations or society.
Registrar and chief executive officer of the Institute, Tíàwo Olusesi, described the event as a dual celebration—marking Fellows’ Day as well as the presentation of the Clarity Awards to outstanding members who have distinguished themselves in discipline and professionalism. Some members were also conferred with Life Membership during the ceremony.
The event also featured the decoration of newly inducted Fellows by past and present presidents of the Institute, with special recognition given to spouses and life members for their unwavering support.
