Godfrey Okoye University secured second place, while the Federal University of Technology, Dutse, finished third in the keenly contested competition.

As a reward for their exceptional performance, the representatives of the three winning institutions will be invited by CIPM to attend the 58th International Conference and Exhibition (ICE) on an all-expense-paid trip.

The conference, scheduled to hold from September 21 to 24, 2026, in Abuja, will provide the students with a unique opportunity to engage with leading HR professionals, business executives, and thought leaders while gaining valuable insights into emerging trends shaping the future of work.

The representatives of the winning institutions are Erike Etchie Oritseshemaye and Unuga Vwaire of Benson Idahosa University; Ekwe Princess Chinyere and Success Awele Amolo of Godfrey Okoye University; and Owolarafe Fatimah Oluwadamilola and Daniel T. Williams of the Federal University of Technology, Dutse.

Speaking on the significance of the competition, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, FCIPM, fnli, commended the students for their outstanding performance and the spirit of healthy competition they displayed throughout the contest. He said the initiative is designed to stimulate students’ interest in the human resource profession while promoting academic excellence, critical thinking, and professional development among undergraduates.

According to him, the competition forms part of the Institute’s broader commitment to nurturing the next generation of HR professionals by providing students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge, sharpen their analytical skills, and gain early exposure to the evolving world of work.

The national finale marked the culmination of a rigorous competition that began with 43 tertiary institutions drawn from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The institutions competed at the regional level, with the winning institution from each geopolitical zone progressing to the national championship.

The six institutions that qualified for the national finale were Chrisland University (South-West), Godfrey Okoye University (South-East), Benson Idahosa University (South-South), Federal University Lokoja (North-Central), Federal University of Technology, Dutse (North-West), and Kwararafa University, Wukari (North-East).

Open to undergraduate students studying Human Resource Management, Management Sciences, and Social Sciences, the CIPM 2026 Inter-Tertiary Institutions Quiz Competition also seeks to strengthen the relationship between academia and professional practice by encouraging students to embrace excellence and prepare for careers in people management.

By rewarding the top-performing institutions with participation in the Institute’s flagship International Conference and Exhibition, CIPM continues to expose outstanding students to contemporary HR practice, thought leadership, emerging workplace trends, and valuable networking opportunities with business leaders and HR professionals from across Nigeria and beyond.

The CIPM 2026 Inter-Tertiary Quiz Competition underscores the Institute’s unwavering commitment to developing future-ready professionals and advancing excellence in human resource management through education, innovation, and strategic engagement with tertiary institutions.

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The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), the regulatory body for human resource management in Nigeria, recognizes the 2025 National Employment Policy (NEP) as a transformative instrument for inclusive growth and decent work. This Position Paper highlights CIPM’s alignment with the NEP, outlines areas of collaboration with the Federal Government, and makes concrete policy recommendations. CIPM is committed to providing technical expertise, professional standards, and institutional support to ensure the successful implementation of the NEP in line with the National Development Plan (2021–2027).

1. Introduction

Employment creation remains central to Nigeria’s economic and social stability. The NEP 2025 acknowledges the role of professional bodies, such as the CIPM, in driving compliance with labour standards, strengthening workforce capacity, and promoting decent work. CIPM is well-positioned to support the Federal Government through its nationwide membership, professional education, and HR regulatory authority.

2. CIPM’s Mandate and Alignment with the NEP

The NEP assigns professional organizations, including CIPM, the responsibility to:

• Encourage private employers’ compliance with labour standards and decent work guidelines.
• Promote corporate governance and social dialogue at workplaces.
• Provide updated labour market insights, including taxation, social security, and workplace safety.
• Deliver enterprise development and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Establish compliance and reporting mechanisms for decent and sustainable work.

CIPM’s institutional mandate directly aligns with these provisions, positioning the Institute as a strategic partner to the Federal Government.

3. Priority Areas for Government–CIPM Collaboration

(a) Strengthening Labour Market Information Systems (LMIS)

• Partner with FMLE and NBS to generate HR analytics and skills gap reports.
• Develop a national HR data framework for workforce planning.

(b) Capacity Building for Employers

• Deliver HRM training programmes to SMEs to boost compliance with decent work standards.
• Strengthen employer capabilities in workforce planning, performance, and change management.

(c) Promoting Social Dialogue and Industrial Peace

• Facilitate dialogue platforms between employers and employees.
• Deploy professional HR mediation tools to prevent and resolve disputes.

(d) Supporting Employment Creation

• Co-create skills development programmes in the digital economy, green jobs, and creative industries.
• Expand CIPM certification to integrate future-of-work skills.

(e) Institutional Participation

• Represent the HR profession at the National Employment Council (NEC) and State Employment Councils (SECs).
• Provide expertise in NEC working groups to align employment targets with the National Development Plan.

4. Policy Recommendations to the Federal Government

1. Institutionalize HR Standards: Mandate compliance with CIPM’s professional standards across MDAs and the Organized Private Sector.
2. Tax Incentives for Decent Work: Provide fiscal incentives to organizations adhering to NEP-compliant HR practices (fair wages, inclusivity, training).
3. Strengthen HR in Public Service: Adopt CIPM frameworks for recruitment, performance management, and succession planning in MDAs.
4. Fund Joint HR–Employment Projects: Allocate resources for HR-driven employment interventions, including enterprise development and workplace safety sensitization.
5. Promote Digital HR Solutions: Collaborate with CIPM to integrate HR technology into NEP monitoring and evaluation systems.

5. Conclusion

CIPM reiterates its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in translating the NEP into measurable employment outcomes. By leveraging professional expertise, research capability, and nationwide membership, CIPM stands ready to partner with government and other stakeholders to deliver inclusive growth, sustainable employment and industrial harmony.

Annex: Proposed Action Areas for CIPM in NEP Implementation

• Data & Research: Labour market analytics, HR indices, workforce planning studies.
• Capacity Building: Nationwide HR training for SMEs, public sector HR reforms.
• Social Dialogue: Platforms for employer–employee mediation and collective bargaining.
• Emerging Work Areas: HR certification for the digital economy, gig work, and green jobs.
• Policy Advocacy: Active participation in NEC/SEC, input into national labour market reforms.

Signed:
Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM)

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The Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme—implemented through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) under the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024—is a major national policy intended to increase access to tertiary education by providing loans to eligible students and funding to institutions. The scheme has demonstrated rapid roll-out and material disbursements to institutions, but it also raises practical and HR-related issues (verification, governance, graduate repayment, employability links, institutional capacity and fiscal sustainability) that require active engagement by CIPM. This paper assesses the scheme’s implications for employers, HR professionals, institutions and graduates, identifies risks and opportunities, and proposes concrete CIPM’s position and recommended actions.

Background & current status (brief)

• Legal basis & agency: The Students’ Loans (Access to Higher Education) – Repeal & Re-enactment Act, 2024, established NELFUND to manage a national student-loan program. The Fund’s public materials and guidelines now set out eligibility, verification, and institutional administration rules.
• Rollout & disbursements: NELFUND has opened application portals for academic cohorts and made sizable institutional disbursements since launch (multiple news reports and agency updates document disbursements to hundreds of thousands of students). This indicates a move from pilot to broader operationalization.

Why this matters to CIPM and HR professionals

1. Graduate labor market & employability: Loan programs change graduate behavior and expectations (salary demands, mobility, skill prioritization). HR must understand how repayments and repayment-linked incentives may affect retention, compensation structuring, and employer brand.
2. Payroll & compliance: If repayment collection is linked to PAYE or employer-assisted deductions (likely modalities in guidelines or future regs), employers will need clear rules, systems, and legal clarity to administer deductions fairly and lawfully.
3. Workforce planning: Large cohorts entering jobs with loan obligations could influence willingness to accept placements, geographic mobility or take-up of lower-paid graduate training roles. HR policy must anticipate attrition risk and budget for retention measures.
4. Verification & HR records: Employers may be asked to verify employment or income for loan servicing; HR must protect data and comply with privacy and anti-fraud safeguards.
5. Skills alignment: CIPM’s mandate to enhance workforce capability means CIPM should press for loan conditionalities or incentives that promote study-to-work alignment (internships, apprenticeships, employer-institution partnerships).

Benefits and opportunities

• Increased access & social mobility: Eases financial barriers for qualified students, expanding talent pipeline for employers.
• Potential to link loans to employability outcomes: The program could incentivize internships, work-based learning, and employer-institution partnerships that benefit HR and national productivity.
• Large dataset for workforce planning: Properly governed data from NELFUND can help CIPM and employers forecast graduate supply and skills trends—if access and privacy are managed.

Risks, Gaps and HR Implications

1. Governance & award transparency: Critical reviews note weaknesses in award and oversight mechanisms that could allow misuse or inequitable allocation—this undermines trust and affects the credibility of income-contingent repayments.
2. Repayment design & collection mechanics: Unclear or poorly designed repayment systems (lack of robust PAYE integration, weak enforcement, punitive rates) can create labor-market distortions and legal exposure for employers if asked to collect.
3. Data protection & verification burden: Employers may be asked to verify employment/income, creating an administrative burden and potential privacy issues if employer responsibilities aren’t clearly framed. HR teams will need procedures and possibly new HRIS functionality.
4. Sustainability & fiscal risk: If loans are interest-free, concessional or poorly recovered, the scheme’s sustainability could be at risk—ultimately affecting students and employers if funding models change mid-course.
5. Inequities & exclusion risks: Implementation choices (which institutions or programs are eligible, how means are tested) could reproduce regional or gender inequalities unless mitigated.

CIPM’s Position (Recommendations)

CIPM supports the objective of increasing access to higher education, but positions itself as a constructive watchdog and partner: CIPM endorses the principle of an equitable, transparent, and sustainable student-loan scheme, calls for strong governance, clear employer protections and obligations, and commits to working with NELFUND, employers and institutions to protect workers’ rights and promote employability outcomes.

Specifically, CIPM’s position includes:

1. Support with conditions: Support NELFUND’s objectives provided governance, transparency, data protection and accountability measures are demonstrable; and repayment mechanisms do not unduly transfer enforcement burdens or legal exposure to employers.
2. Employer Safeguards: Employers should only be required to perform limited verification (employment status and gross pay confirmation) under clear legal protections and with data privacy safeguards and explicit indemnities. Employers must not be made guarantors for students’ debts.
3. Income-contingent, Progressive Repayments: CIPM endorses repayment modalities that are income-contingent, progressive and administratively simple (linked to PAYE where possible) to avoid sudden financial stress on graduates and to keep collection costs low.
4. Skills & Employability Linkage: Loans should be structured or complemented by incentives for institutions and students to prioritize employability (mandatory industrial attachments, employer partnerships, graduate-tracking metrics).
5. Transparency & Anti-Fraud: Full public reporting on disbursements, eligibility lists, audit outcomes and clear complaints/appeals process are non-negotiable. Independent audit and parliamentary oversight must be strengthened.

Practical Recommendations (Actions for CIPM)

Short-term (0–6 months)

1. Stakeholder Engagement: Seek formal meetings with NELFUND to clarify employer obligations, data flows and proposed PAYE/collection mechanics. Offer CIPM as a partner to design employer guidance.
2. Employer Guidance Note: Draft and distribute a CIPM “Employer Brief” explaining rights and duties, suggested HR processes for verification and a model data-sharing agreement that protects employee privacy.
3. Advocacy for clear Employer Indemnity: Lobby for explicit legal indemnities for employers against liability when they provide truthful employment verification or payroll deductions performed under a statutory process.

Medium-term (6–18 months)

4. Capacity-Building: Prepare short courses/webinars for HR professionals on administering verification requests, data protection compliance and handling graduate-repayment queries.
5. Policy Submissions: Prepare formal CIPM submissions to NELFUND/relevant Ministries advocating for income-contingent repayment thresholds, graduated repayment bands and waivers for vulnerable graduates. Support calls for independent audits.

Long-term (18+ months)

6. Partnership for employability: Build frameworks for employer-institution partnerships (internships, apprenticeships etc.), using the student-loan program as a leverage point for work-ready curriculum.
7. Monitoring & Evaluation: Establish an annual CIPM report tracking the labor-market impact of the loan scheme (graduate mobility, starting wages, default rates, sectoral absorption).

Suggested CIPM Advocacy Language (One Paragraph)

“CIPM welcomes the Federal Government’s Student Loan initiative as a necessary step towards widening access to higher education. We call for transparent governance, strong data-protection safeguards, income-contingent repayment designs, clear employer protections and active linkage of the scheme to employability outcomes. CIPM offers to work with NELFUND, employers and tertiary institutions to ensure the scheme supports sustainable human capital development and equitable labor-market transitions for Nigerian graduates.”

Appendix A — Model employer operational checklist (high level)

1. Request only legally required verification data (employment status, gross salary).
2. Use a standardised form and require a formal request from NELFUND with statutory backing.
3. Log and retain data-sharing consents and legal requests.
4. Train payroll on mechanics and legal limits of deductions.
5. Provide employees with written notice before any payroll action – for consent.
6. Escalation path: HR → Legal→ HR → Payroll → Employee.

Appendix B — Key Sources Consulted

• NELFUND: Student Loan Initiative (official site & FAQ).
• Guidelines for the operations of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (applicants’ guidelines / public assets).
• Students’ Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal & Re-enactment) Act, 2024 (coverage and commentary).
• Critical policy notes on scheme weaknesses and oversight concerns.
• Recent media coverage of portal re-openings, disbursements and operational updates (news outlets).

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The governor, who spoke at the Special Human Resource Forum (SHRF) 2026 organised by CIPM, revealed that one of the pillars of Lagos State’s long-term development strategy is to position the state as a leading centre for human capital development globally, adding that this vision aligns closely with CIPM’s mission of advancing people management excellence and professional development.

“There is no way we can achieve that without a real partnership with institutes like CIPM. Your vision and our vision as a state are truly aligned,” he added.

Sanwo-Olu noted that HR professionals can no longer afford to remain on the sidelines as technological disruption continues to reshape workplaces, industries and economies. According to him, the future of work requires organisations to anticipate emerging skills and prepare their workforce accordingly.

“HR personnel cannot take the back seat. You really need to know what skills your staff require and where the future of work is going,” the governor said.

The governor further commended the Institute for its growing impact on workforce development in Nigeria, noting that many Lagos State civil servants have benefitted from CIPM’s professional development programmes and certifications.

“I have seen the consistent level of competencies that the Institute has developed in the system, and particularly how it has helped us in the public sector space. I am truly proud of the growth I have seen over the last decade. I am one of your quiet cheerleaders. I will do everything to ensure that the Institute takes its rightful place among other professional institutes in the country,” he said.

In his remarks, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, FCIPM, fnli, challenged HR professionals to take the lead in ensuring that artificial intelligence becomes a tool for inclusive growth rather than a driver of inequality.

Speaking on the theme, ‘People Policy and Performance in the Age of AI: HR Leadership for Economic Transformation and Poverty Reduction,’ Mallam Gobir said the future impact of artificial intelligence would depend less on technology and more on the quality of leadership and people-focused policies guiding its adoption.

“History will not remember us for how quickly we adopted artificial intelligence. History will remember us for whether artificial intelligence improved the lives of our people, whether it created jobs or displaced livelihoods, and whether it reduced poverty or widened inequality,” he said.

Delivering the keynote presentation, global AI and leadership expert Erica Farmer urged organisations to put people at the centre of their AI strategies, warning that technology alone will not guarantee economic growth or social progress.

Farmer described AI as “mass intelligence” rather than conventional technology and noted that its transformative potential depends largely on how organisations deploy it and how leaders prepare their people for change

While citing projections that AI could contribute as much as $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035, she noted that such gains would only be realised through intentional investments in skills, leadership and workforce adaptation.

“Potential doesn’t automatically equal prosperity. We need to take people on that journey, and this is the defining moment for HR,” she said.

Farmer maintained that HR leaders must play a central role in shaping organisational responses to AI, describing them as the professionals best positioned to guide workforce transformation and help leaders make better decisions.

Participants agreed that as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the world of work, investments in human capital, leadership capability and workforce readiness will remain critical to national development and long-term economic competitiveness.

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The call was made at the 2026 CEO/CHRO/HRD Forum organised by the Institute under the theme, “Refocusing Diversity and Inclusion in the Organisation: The CEO and HR’s Perspectives.” The event brought together Chief Executive Officers, Human Resource Officers, and other senior business leaders to examine the role of leadership in building inclusive and high-performing organisations.

L-R: National Treasurer of CIPM, Mr. Adeyemi Ajayi, FCIPM, Chartered FCIPD; Vice President of CIPM, Mrs. Chidinma Justina Obiejesi, FCIPM; Guest Speaker, Dr. Funke Adepoju; President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, FCIPM, fnli; Guest Speaker, Mr. Roger Philippe Adou; Registrar/Chief Executive of CIPM, Ms. Oluwatoyin Naiwo, FCIPM, Chartered FCIPD; Immediate Past President of CIPM, Mr. Olusegun Mojeed, FCIPM, fnli, at the CIPM CEO/CHRO/HRD Forum, held recently at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, Nigeria.

In his opening remarks, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, FCIPM, fnli, stated that organisational transformation begins with leadership decisions, stressing that innovation, diversity, and inclusion cannot thrive without the commitment of those at the helm of organisations. He noted that meaningful organisational change starts at the leadership table and that leaders must model the behaviours and culture they seek to promote.

Mallam Gobir observed that organisations with diverse leadership teams consistently make better decisions, drive innovation, and achieve stronger business outcomes because diversity is fundamentally about perspective and the ability to harness different ideas and experiences.

He further emphasised that diversity and inclusion should never come at the expense of competence, maintaining that merit must remain the foundation upon which inclusive workplaces are built. According to him, organisations become stronger, more innovative, and more sustainable when diversity and excellence work together.

Delivering the goodwill message of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mrs. Sunkanmi Olasunkanmi Oyegbola, FCIPM, urged organisations to evaluate diversity and inclusion through tangible outcomes rather than the existence of policies or committees. She noted that businesses that deliberately expand opportunities and remove barriers consistently outperform those that do not.

In his keynote presentation, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Roger Philippe Adou, described diversity and inclusion as a business imperative supported by clear policies, accountability, and leadership commitment. He said diverse and inclusive teams deliver superior innovation and decision-making because they bring different perspectives to the table.

According to Mr. Adou, organisations must move beyond representation to ensuring that diverse voices have real influence on decisions. He explained that FrieslandCampina WAMCO deliberately promotes gender balance, regional representation, and psychological safety, enabling employees to contribute freely and helping the organisation make better business decisions across Nigeria’s diverse markets.

Also speaking, Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Dr. Funke Adepoju, challenged organisations to shift their focus from representation to genuine inclusion and belonging. She argued that inclusion must become part of organisational culture and performance measurement systems rather than remaining a symbolic initiative.

Dr. Adepoju maintained that merit and inclusion are complementary rather than competing objectives, urging organisations to “widen the gate and raise the floor” by investing in talent development and creating opportunities for a broader range of people to excel.

The event also highlighted the strategic partnership between chief executives and HR leaders in shaping organisational culture, developing talent, and building future-ready workplaces.

The forum concluded with a renewed call for organisations to move beyond diversity as a compliance requirement and embrace inclusion as a strategic driver of innovation, employee engagement, and sustainable business performance. Participants were encouraged to translate the insights from the forum into concrete workplace actions capable of delivering measurable organisational impact.

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