The Institute of Directors Nigeria has announced a year-long programme of events and activities to mark its 40th year anniversary.
Speaking at a media parley on Tuesday, 14 March 023, the President & Chairman of Governing Council of the Institute, Dr. (Mrs.) Ije Jidenma, F.IoD said the Institute intends to roll out the drum to celebrate four decades of providing ample opportunity for the growth and development of the practice of directorship in Nigeria,
She continued that by improving the capacities of directors to deliver on their mandates through various knowledge-building and capacity development programmes, which the Institute runs locally and internationally to expose directors to global best practices, IoD Nigeria has continuously met its founding mandate and objectives, which include the equipping and development of its members to deliver on their mandates in their various directorship positions in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Dr. Jidenma stated that IoD Nigeria, which was established on 17 May 1983 as Branch of IoD UK and later in 1999 became a full affiliate of the United Kingdom body, will host a year-long series of activities to mark the milestone anniversary. “The events will hold in all our branches nationwide in manifestion of the national outlook of our Institute and in order to carry all our members all over the country along”, she said.
The IoD President continued that the programmes lined up for the anniversary have been structured to add immense value to all players in the Nigerian corporate governance space as it will serve to increase stakeholders’ awareness of the imperatives of good corporate governance and best practices, while amplifying in the public domain the contributions of IoD Nigeria in this regard over the last four decades, while the lectures and discussions during the events will generate new thoughts and practicable ideas on corporate governance, leadership, ethics, economy, and business, especially with peculiar references to the Nigerian business environment.
She said the events will provide forums to enlighten stakeholders on the Institute’s diverse advocacy, capacity development and membership engagement tools and platforms and also amplify the Institute’s Young Directors Forum programmes as young directors, who are members of the Institute, will have opportunities to share their challenges and aspirations.
Dr. Jidenma continued that the anniversary celebrations promise to attract the largest gathering of Nigerian policy makers and creme de la crème of the Nigerian leadership in the private and public sectors, thus presenting for all attendees a good advantage for networking, while the events’ platforms will adequately serve the business interests of sponsors that are strategic in promoting their companies’ products and services.
She concluded that the celebrations, which will set the tone for IoD’s enhanced leadership role as an advocate of corporate governance in the coming years, will eventually crystalize a deeper understanding of good governance, which will have positive effects on all sectors, including public institutions and regulatory agencies across various professional and business sectors.
Also speaking during the Press Conference, the Chairman of the Institute’s 40th Anniversary Planning Committee and a Past President of the Institute, Mr. Samuel Yemi Akeju, DF.IoD said the programme will commence with a courtesy call on the Nigerian President, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, while a flag-off of the event will hold in Lagos in April 2023.
Mr. Akeju added that other events to mark the anniversary include a health and fitness programme, “Walk for Life”, that would be held in Lagos and the Institute’s branches in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Abeokuta and a special Golf tourney in Lagos.
He continued that the Institute will also use the opportunity of the anniversary to hold the foundation laying ceremony of its national headquarters building, the “IoD Towers” in Lagos and host a special Anniversary Gala on 17 May 2023 in Lagos, which would be the climax of the anniversary as it would hold on the anniversary day.