ABUJA — President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has identified poor management, weak institutions and leadership deficits as major obstacles to Nigeria’s development, saying the country does not lack the resources or human capacity required to achieve greatness.
Okoh made the assertion in Abuja at the 2026 Annual National Management Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered, NIM, where he was invested as an Honorary Fellow of the institute.
Speaking on the theme, “Sixty-Five Years of Management Excellence: Strengthening Institutional Governance in Nigeria,” the CAN president said Nigeria possessed enormous human and natural resources, a vibrant youthful population and a resilient entrepreneurial spirit.
He, however, lamented that institutional weakness, corruption, insecurity, poor service delivery and declining public confidence in some institutions had continued to frustrate the nation’s development.
According to him, the country’s ability to translate its resources into sustainable development depends largely on the quality, integrity and competence of those entrusted with managing them.
“Nigeria does not lack resources. Nigeria does not lack intelligent people. Nigeria does not lack ideas. What we need is the discipline to manage our resources wisely, the integrity to manage them transparently, the competence to manage them efficiently, and the leadership courage to manage them in the interest of the common good,” he said.
Okoh stressed that the greatness of any nation was ultimately determined by the strength of its institutions and the quality of people managing them.
“These challenges remind us of an important truth: the greatness of a nation is ultimately determined by the quality of its institutions and the people who manage them,” he said.
The CAN president urged professional managers and other stakeholders to place integrity, accountability, transparency and excellence at the centre of their responsibilities.
He said effective management should go beyond achieving organisational targets to include responsible stewardship of resources and commitment to the common good.
Drawing a connection between the Church and professional management, Okoh noted that churches were not only spiritual institutions but also managed people, finances, organisations, programmes and complex networks of communities.
He said churches across Nigeria and other parts of 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.
“The principle is clear: what is entrusted to us must not be wasted; it must be developed, multiplied and used for the common good,” he said.
Okoh urged NIM to continue to promote professional excellence and responsible stewardship as it enters the next phase of its 65-year history.
He said Nigeria needed institutions that were ethical, efficient, resilient and innovative, capable of delivering quality services and restoring citizens’ confidence in governance.
The cleric also called for leadership anchored on integrity, service, accountability, excellence and the fear of God.
He maintained that these values were necessary to transform the nation’s abundant resources and human capital into sustainable economic and social development.
Speaking on his investiture, Okoh expressed gratitude to the President and Chairman of Council of NIM, Commodore Abimbola Ayuba (retd.), FNIM, fdc, as well as past presidents, fellows, members, management and staff of the institute.
He described the honorary fellowship as more than a personal recognition, saying it represented a call to greater service and responsibility.
“I accept the conferment of Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) with humility and gratitude,” he said.
“I accept it also on behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the wider Christian community, and as an encouragement to continue promoting leadership that is anchored in integrity, service, accountability, excellence and the fear of God.”
Okoh said the recognition would further encourage him to promote collaboration between the Church, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the task of nation-building.
He commended NIM for its contributions over the past 65 years to management education, professional capacity development and the promotion of standards of excellence across Nigerian organisations.
The CAN president urged the institute to deploy its expertise towards strengthening institutions in both the public and private sectors.
“As we celebrate sixty-five years of management excellence, may NIM enter the next chapter of its history with renewed determination to help build institutions that are ethical, efficient, resilient, innovative and capable of delivering a better Nigeria,” he said.
Okoh further drew attention to the biblical Parable of the Talents, stressing that resources entrusted to leaders should be deployed wisely and productively rather than wasted.
He urged NIM members and other professionals to champion a culture of responsible management, particularly in public institutions where poor decisions and mismanagement have far-reaching consequences for citizens.
The CAN president said sustainable national development could not be achieved through policies and resources alone, stressing that Nigeria required competent people and strong institutions capable of implementing policies effectively.
He called on leaders to rise above personal interests and manage public resources transparently and efficiently.
Okoh also urged Nigerians to see leadership as a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity for personal enrichment.
He congratulated NIM on its 65th anniversary, urging the institute to remain at the forefront of efforts to strengthen institutional governance, promote ethical management and contribute to the development of a better Nigeria.
