The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has identified poor leadership rather than inflation or other economic pressures as the biggest obstacle to improving workplace productivity, urging organisations to overhaul management practices and redesign work systems to sustain performance amid Nigeria’s economic challenges.

The institute gave the warning at its 2026 Corporate Members Forum with the theme ‘Re-engineering Employee Productivity Amidst Macroeconomic Stress,’ where business leaders, human resource professionals and corporate executives examined how organisations can remain productive despite inflation, exchange rate volatility, rising operating costs, talent shortages and technological disruption.

Speaking at the forum, CIPM President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ahmed Gobir, said many organisations wrongly attribute declining productivity solely to macroeconomic conditions when leadership failures often inflict greater damage on workforce performance.

He said organisations that invest in people, build resilient workplace cultures and inspire employees are more likely to withstand economic shocks and remain competitive.

According to him, Nigeria’s human capital remains its greatest productive asset, making leadership quality central to unlocking innovation, commitment and long-term organisational growth.

Gobir urged employers to move away from compliance-driven management towards people-centred leadership capable of transforming workplace pressure into improved capability and performance.

Delivering the keynote address, Managing Director of SoftAlliance and Resources Limited, Dr Bisi Aina, argued that declining productivity should no longer be viewed as an employee problem but as evidence of poorly designed organisational systems.

He said worsening inflation, exchange rate instability, increasing operating costs and the migration of skilled professionals have exposed weaknesses in workplace processes that require structural reforms rather than demands for employees to work harder.

He maintained that organisations achieve better results when they simplify work processes, digitalise operations, empower managers, continuously develop employees’ skills and measure performance based on value created instead of hours spent at work.

According to him, average employees working within efficient systems consistently outperform exceptional workers constrained by inefficient structures.

Panellists at the forum also challenged employers to abandon outdated measures of productivity that reward physical presence rather than measurable outcomes.

Human Resources (HR) Coordinator at Mota-Engil Nigeria, Chinyere Olusanya, said many organisations still equate long working hours and attendance with productivity, despite evidence that performance should be assessed by the quality and impact of employees’ contributions.

She called for workplace systems that reward results and encourage innovation rather than busyness.

Similarly, Group HR Lead at SystemSpecs, Ibem Idika, advocated more flexible employee welfare policies tailored to workers’ needs, noting that productivity should form part of a broader commitment to operational excellence, innovation, efficiency and employee wellbeing.