Otti Hails CIoD’s Role in Developing Ethical Leadership, Pledges Partnership

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has praised the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria for its key contribution to nurturing effective and ethical leadership across the country.

The governor gave the commendation when the President of CIoD Nigeria, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, led members of the Institute’s Governing Council on a courtesy visit to his office. During the meeting, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with the Institute to strengthen leadership capacity, governance standards, and ethical practices in both the public and private sectors.

Emphasising the importance of succession planning and continuous capacity development, the governor assured the delegation that the proposals presented would be carefully reviewed, especially those focused on training and skills enhancement. He directed the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff to study the submissions and identify areas of partnership beyond the initial recommendations.

Governor Otti congratulated Otunba Oyebanji on his emergence as President of the Institute and commended the CIoD leadership for its sustained efforts to promote quality governance nationwide.

Earlier, Otunba Oyebanji expressed the Institute’s readiness to collaborate with the Abia State Government to advance governance excellence and support sustainable development. He explained that CIoD remains dedicated to promoting ethical leadership, institutional integrity, and global best practices through training programmes, professional certifications, and knowledge sharing.

He unveiled his leadership vision themed Implementation, Collaboration and Engagement (ICE) and proposed a four-pillar partnership framework, including the enrolment of members of the State Executive Council and senior officials into CIoD, as well as institutional membership for ministries, departments, and agencies under the Institute’s Centre for Corporate Governance.

Commending Governor Otti’s leadership style, Oyebanji described Abia State as “a clear example of what can be achieved when vision meets courage and governance aligns with integrity,” expressing optimism that a partnership with the state would help shape a future worthy of celebration for generations.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, PhD, and the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Barrister Chijioke Nwankwo.