The Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) Chartered has urged its newly-inducted and upgraded members to be positive change agents wherever they find themselves and in whatever capacity they serve.

The institute equally charged them to stand firm for what is right, even in the face of pressure to compromise.

President and Chairman of Council of NIM, Commodore Abimbola Ayuba (rtd), who gave the charge during the institute’s membership induction and upgrading ceremony, recently, said he believed that if they collectively uphold the right values and attitudes, they will contribute significantly to the transformation Nigeria urgently requires.

Ayuba urged them that during their daily responsibilities, they will inevitably encounter complex situations that demand difficult choices.

However, in such moments, he urged them to let their decisions be firmly guided by the ethical principles and professional standards of the institute.

As certified professional managers, the NIM boss urged them that they are entrusted with the responsibility of discharging their duties with the highest standards of competence and professionalism, consistently subordinating personal interests to corporate and collective goals.

In line with the institute’s code of conduct, “You are enjoined to put service above self at all times. As members of the institute, you are expected to internalise and uphold the core values of selflessness, fairness, efficiency, accountability, transparency, probity and integrity, both in your professional engagements and personal decisions,” he said.

Delivering an induction lecture on ‘Building Bridges Across Sectors: The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Professional Management’, Team Lead, Operations, WC Digital Academy, Olubukola Ige, highlighted some of the benefits of cross-sector collaboration, building on innovation, better decisions, higher performance, resilience, broader impact and stakeholder trust.

She cited instances of barriers to collaboration and how to overcome them.

According to her, for sectoral silos and turf protection, cross-agency frameworks with shared Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) make collaboration a national self-interest.

On mutual distrust between sectors, Ige said transparency, accountability, and evidence win to build trust incrementally but durably.

She said that when competing interests collide, the bridge-building manager who cannot be trusted cannot serve as a bridge.

On call to action, Ige urged that as chartered managers, there is a need to build an active network, use membership drive as a platform, and invest in the generations behind.