CIoD Seeks Healthier Lifestyle Among Corporate Executives

The Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria has called on corporate executives to adopt healthier lifestyles through regular exercise and routine medical checks.

The Institute said physical wellbeing was essential to effective leadership, particularly for directors whose responsibilities required sound judgement, mental alertness and sustained concentration.

The National President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, made the call at the 2026 Walk for Life organised by the Institute’s Abuja Zone in Abuja on Saturday.

Oyebanji said the annual exercise was designed to encourage directors and senior executives to maintain physical fitness, noting that leadership effectiveness depended partly on their ability to keep their bodies and minds healthy.

He said the Institute believed strongly in the principle of a healthy mind in a healthy body, adding that directors could not perform optimally if they neglected their personal wellbeing.

“We believe very strongly in the concept of a strong mind in a strong body. If the body is not in good shape, then the mind, especially the mind of directors that we are concerned about, will not be able to perform their role,” he said.

Beyond promoting wellness, Oyebanji said CIoD was committed to strengthening leadership capacity through training programmes and seminars for directors in the public and private sectors.

He explained that the Institute’s interventions were aimed at improving organisational management and contributing to economic growth through more effective leadership.

On corporate governance, he identified advocacy as another major area of the Institute’s work, noting that it regularly engaged government and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency, accountability and ethical conduct.

He described the promotion of good governance as a continuous process requiring sustained engagement, capacity building and commitment from stakeholders.

“It’s a journey. It’s not a destination you get to. So we have to continue putting as much effort as we can, including the training and advocacy that we do, so that gradually we can change the fortunes of Nigeria,” he said.

Oyebanji added that the Walk for Life was also intended to inspire members of the public to embrace physical activity, irrespective of their professional affiliations.

He expressed concern over cases of sudden deaths and urged Nigerians to incorporate exercise into their daily routines as part of efforts to maintain good health.

The Abuja Zonal Chairperson, Mrs Rose Eshiett, said physical fitness was particularly important for people occupying decision-making positions because their responsibilities required mental clarity.

She observed that directors often spent considerable time in boardrooms handling complex organisational issues but needed to give equal attention to their physical wellbeing.

“You cannot take a decision without clarity in your brain. So you need to work the body. It is not just about thinking; it is about the entire body. If you are not fit, you cannot take a decision,” Eshiett said.

She also advocated greater participation of women in leadership, arguing that empathy, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility were important qualities women brought to decision-making.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIoD Nigeria, Dr Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, said the annual walk was part of the Institute’s efforts to promote work-life balance among directors and senior professionals.

He noted that many executives operated in sedentary work environments, spending long hours sitting behind their desks, making regular physical activity particularly important.

Nolas-Alausa urged directors to monitor their health and develop consistent exercise routines rather than depend solely on the annual walk.

“My advice to directors out there is to take care of your health, really. It’s not just about waking, sleeping and eating, but you have to be able to ensure that what is the status of your health,” he said.

He explained that the Institute also organised exercise activities through different groups on a weekly and monthly basis, while the annual walk remained its flagship initiative for promoting wellness.

The 2026 event, themed “Advancing Executive Wellness, Building Connections, and Inspiring Healthier Leadership,” brought together directors, senior executives, professionals and members of the wider community.

It also provided an opportunity for participants to strengthen professional relationships and interact outside formal business engagements.

CIoD Nigeria is a professional institute committed to promoting good corporate governance, ethical leadership and best practices in directorship, while building the capacity of directors to guide organisations towards sustainable performance.