ATAKO BECOMES NIM 24TH PRESIDENT

By Kathy Kyari

On February 15, 2023, a ceremony to install Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Atako as the 24th President and Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) will take place in the Institutes Auditorium at Management House in Victoria Island, Lagos.

On December 9, 2022, Dr. Atako, the Institute's former acting president and deputy president, was elected the organization's 24th president and chairman of council. She succeeds Major General Abdullahi Muraina (rtd), who passed away in September of last year.

Commodore Abimbola Ayuba (rtd), a former Director at the Defence Headquarters and Naval Headquarters in Abuja, and Dr. Raymond Ihenacho, a former Director at the Raw Materials Research Development Council, will also be decorated in the same ceremony as the National Treasurer and Deputy President, respectively.

The new president graduated with a First Class (Honours) degree in English from the University of Sokoto in 1984. She is a Fellow of the Institute and a former Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission. She also earned postgraduate degrees in public relations from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in Lagos, cross-sector partnerships from the University of Cambridge, and conflict resolution skills from the University of Coventry in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Atako, had a notable career in both the public and commercial sectors of the economy, holding a variety of roles with the Oil Mineral Producing Areas, the Cross River State Teaching Service Commission, and the Cross River State Civil Service Commission.

Later on, she transferred her services to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), first as Assistant Director and then as Acting Head of the Community and Rural Development Directorate. She later rose to the positions of Deputy Director, Community and Rural Development, and Head, Corporate Affairs.

She advanced to the positions of Director of Education, Health, and Social Services as well as Director of Community and Rural Development. Dr. Atako reached the pinnacle of her remarkable career when she was named Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission in 2013.

It is evident from her accomplishments in each task she has been given that the new President and Chairman of Council of the Institute is a thoroughbred, seasoned, and tested professional.

Dr. (Mrs.) Atako has participated in numerous training sessions, seminars, and conferences both inside and outside of the nation. She has also delivered academic papers at numerous conferences and workshops around the world.

Dr. Atako is a multifaceted professional who holds fellowships from a number of organizations, including the Institute of Strategic Management, Certified Institute of Public Administration and Management, Certified Directors Institute, and Institute of Corporate Managers and Public Administrators. She belongs to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, the Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants, and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Since joining the Institute in 2000, Dr. Atako has held a number of positions at the Port Harcourt Chapter, Rivers State Branch, and national levels, where she has served in Council since 2013. She was chosen the National Treasurer in 2019, Deputy President in 2021, Acting President in September 2022, and substantive President in December 2022 in honor of her outstanding contributions to the expansion of the Institute and the management profession.

Members of the Institute, representatives of other professional bodies, representatives of the government, and representatives of corporate bodies will be present for the investiture of the new President and Chairman of Council, according to a statement signed by the administrator of the Institute, Mr. Akin Iroko.