CIPM Urges Rethink on Productivity Amid Economic Stress

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) called on business leaders and human resource professionals to rethink traditional productivity approaches during the Corporate Members’ Forum 2026, themed “Re-engineering Employee Productivity Amidst Macroeconomic Stress.” Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, stated that productivity should be viewed as a leadership imperative rather than just an operational metric. He identified uninspired leadership as a significant threat to productivity, surpassing economic factors like inflation.

Gobir emphasized that organizations investing in their workforce and fostering resilient cultures are more likely to thrive during challenging times. Dr.

Bisi Aina, Managing Director of SoftAlliance and Resources Limited, delivered the keynote presentation, arguing that productivity issues are systemic rather than employee-related. He proposed five critical levers for enhancing productivity: simplifying work processes, digitalizing operations, empowering managers, building workforce capabilities, and shifting performance measurement from hours worked to value delivered.