The 2026 Annual Directors Conference (ADC) of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria will focus on sustainable capital and governance and examine Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
The President/Chairman of the Governing Council, CIoD Nigeria, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, in a press conference held at the Institute’s Lagos Secretariat, to give an overview of the conference, said this year’s edition of CIoD’s ADC will hold between 10th and 11th November 2026, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, under the theme: ‘Reimagining the Boardroom for Inclusive and Sustainable National Prosperity in the New Economy.’
Oyebanji, in his welcome remarks, said the conference will feature the ‘Business Meets Government Dinner,’ which will focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), Sustainability and the Climate Agenda, with the sub-theme: Building a $1 Trillion Economy Through Sustainable Capital and Governance.
The Business Meets Government Dinner will be chaired by the Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, and will take place on Wednesday, 11th November, 2026.
Offering more details on the conference theme, Oyebanji said it reflects the changing responsibilities confronting boards and directors.
He said the Nigerian economy is being influenced by technological advancement, artificial intelligence, changing patterns of investment, entrepreneurship, sustainability concerns, and developments in the global business environment.
These developments, according to him, require boards to continually examine how they provide leadership, oversight and direction.
‘The 2026 ADC will therefore provide a platform for directors, business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to discuss the issues that are shaping the boardroom and the wider economy.
‘Our programme will address areas including strategic competitiveness, entrepreneurial growth, capital access, artificial intelligence, board accountability, value creation, collaboration and inclusion,’ Oyebanji said.
Also speaking, Chairman, National Organising Committee (NOC) of the 2026 ADC, Dr. Waheed Olagunju, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been invited to open the conference, while Former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who is now Chairman, Seplat Energy Plc., will deliver the keynote address.
He said the conference will examine several issues that are particularly relevant to contemporary boardrooms, with the first major discussion focusing on ‘Strategic Competitiveness amid Fragmentation and Volatility in a Shifting Global Order.’
The second, Olagunju said, will examine ‘Accelerating Entrepreneurial Growth through Governance, Capital Access, and Market Expansion.
The NOC chair also said the conference have a session on ‘Board Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which will consider the implications of artificial intelligence for board oversight and corporate responsibility.
Another session, he added, will examine ‘Boardrooms as Engines of Value Creation, Collaboration, and Inclusion for Shared Prosperity.’
The programme will also include a Fireside Chat on ‘Elevating Boardroom Standards for Exemplary Corporate Conduct.’
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of ECOBank Nigeria, Mrs. Bola Adesola, and the former Managing Director and CEO of Central Securities Clearing System, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, would share their insights on this topic.
Olagunju said his Committee has put together a programme designed to give participants opportunities for valuable discussions, networking, professional engagement and interaction with experienced leaders from different sectors.
‘We have assembled vibrant speakers, moderators, and discussants with experience across many sectors, he stated.
He listed them to include the MD/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc. Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; the ED/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni; an international lawyer and development finance expert formerly of the African Development Bank, African Export Import Bank and Africa Finance Corporation, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade.
Others are Mr. Sunny Iroche, an AI Strategist and former Senior Academic Visitor African Studies Centre University of Oxford and Ms. Rabi Isma – Chairperson, ActionAid Nigeria (Social Entrepreneurship outfit).
According to him, the sessions will also feature leading academics like Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, and experienced moderators.
The moderators include Mrs. Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani of Arise News, Mrs. Nkem Begho, CEO of Futuresoft and Co-Founder of AI CoLab Africa, Mrs. Soromidayo George of Coca-Cola, and Mrs. Patricia Ifewulu, the Group Company Secretary and Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Continental Reinsurance Plc.
Olagunju, however, said the conference will extend beyond the formal sessions. For instance, he said the Golf Tournament at Ikoyi Club, scheduled for Thursday, 5th November 2026, will provide an opportunity for participants and members to interact in an informal setting ahead of the main event.
While CIoD members will pay a participation fee of N200, 000, non-members are to pay N250, 000 for physical participation; online participants and members of the Institute’s Young Directors Forum will pay N100, 000.
The NOC chair assured that the Committee is particularly focused on ensuring that the conference provides meaningful opportunities for exchanges between directors, business and government leaders as well as other stakeholders.
In his closing remarks, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, CIoD Nigeria, Dr. Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, reiterated that the Institute’s ADC is an important platform for bringing directors and other stakeholders together to examine issues that affect the quality of leadership, governance and decision-making in organisations.
He said this year’s theme speaks to the need for directors to remain responsive to changes affecting business and society, noting that the new economy presents both opportunities and responsibilities.
‘Artificial intelligence is changing how organisations operate. Entrepreneurs require access to capital and markets. Boards are expected to pay greater attention to sustainability and responsible business practices. At the same time, organisations must remain competitive and accountable,’ Dr. Nolas-Alausa said,
These issues, he said, require informed conversations among those responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight, emphasizing that ‘That is what the Institute seeks to facilitate through this year’s conference.’