The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has called on CEOs and HR leaders to build strategic partnerships that align business goals with people strategies to foster sustainable organisational growth.
The charge was delivered at the recent CEO/CHRO/HRD Forum held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, themed “Building Strategic Partnerships: The Role of CEOs and HR in Organisations.”
CIPM President Olusegun Mojeed described the forum as a “call to alignment, partnership, and power,” urging CEOs to work closely with HR leaders to translate business vision into engaged performance.
“Employees are your most strategic asset. Treat them with empathy and purpose,” he said.
Keynote speaker, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, emphasised that no CEO can succeed without putting people at the heart of strategy.
“Being a people-first CEO is not a title—it’s an obligation. Even with the best brands, without talent, organisations fail,” she said.
Adeboye challenged the traditional perception of HR, proposing modern terms like “People Leaders” and pushing for a role that transcends payroll and recruitment.
“I expect my HR to understand our profit and loss statements and know how many units of candy we sold last month,” she noted.
She credited Cadbury’s employee retention success to strategic investments in workforce planning and urged HR professionals to develop stronger business acumen.
“HR must step into their role as co-architects of business success. It’s time to move from transactional to transformational HR,” Adeboye added.
In closing, the CIPM Chairman reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to modernising HR in Nigeria and invited participants to the 57th CIPM National Conference scheduled for October in Abuja.
“Strategic HR is not the future—it is the now,” he said. “Let us lead organisations where people, not just profit, come first.”
