The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has called for ethical governance and responsible management of the country’s resources, saying Nigeria needs competent and courageous leaders to harness its enormous potential.
Okoh said Nigeria was not short of human and natural resources, intelligent citizens or ideas, but required leaders capable of managing its resources transparently and in the interest of the common good.
The CAN President spoke on Monday at the 2026 Annual National Management Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), where he was invested as an Honorary Fellow of the institute.
He said Nigeria was at a critical point in its national development despite its enormous potential, youthful population and resilient entrepreneurial spirit.
According to him, “the greatness of a nation is ultimately determined by the quality of its institutions and the people who manage them”.
Okoh urged managers and leaders across the country to embrace integrity, accountability, excellence and responsible stewardship in the discharge of their duties.
He spoke against the backdrop of the conference theme, “Sixty-Five Years of Management Excellence: Strengthening Institutional Governance in Nigeria,” which he described as timely and relevant to the country’s current circumstances.
The CAN President congratulated NIM on 65 years of contributing to the development of management practice and professional capacity in Nigeria, noting that the institute had played a significant role in shaping management thought and promoting standards of excellence across organisations.
Okoh also drew a connection between the Church and professional management, stressing that although the Church is fundamentally a spiritual institution, it also manages people, resources, organisations, programmes and complex networks of communities.
He noted that churches in Nigeria and around the world administer schools, hospitals, universities, humanitarian programmes, media organisations, businesses and charitable institutions.
According to him, the biblical principle of stewardship requires individuals and institutions to manage entrusted resources faithfully and responsibly.
Citing the Parable of the Talents in the Bible, Okoh said resources entrusted to people should be deployed wisely, productively and responsibly rather than wasted.
He therefore challenged NIM to deepen its commitment to professional management and the principle of stewardship.
The CAN President described his conferment as an Honorary Fellow of NIM as more than a personal honour, saying it represented a call to greater service, responsibility and renewed commitment to nation-building.
He said he accepted the recognition on behalf of CAN and the wider Christian community, pledging to continue promoting leadership anchored on integrity, service, accountability, excellence and the fear of God.
Okoh urged NIM to use the next chapter of its 65-year history to contribute more significantly to building institutions that are ethical, efficient, resilient and innovative, and capable of delivering better services to Nigerians.
He expressed appreciation to NIM President and Chairman of Council, Commodore Abimbola Ayuba (rtd), as well as past presidents, fellows, members, management and staff of the institute for the recognition.
He described the honour as an invitation to deeper partnership and greater service to the nation.
