LAGOS STATE PARASTATALS MONITORING OFFICE HOSTS 2026 RETREAT FOR CEOs ON BOLD LEADERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Lagos State Government, through the Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO), on Thursday, 12th February 2026, commenced the Year 2026 Retreat for Chief Executive Officers of Parastatals, Agencies and Government-Owned Companies at the Novotel Hotel, Chevy View Estate, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
The retreat, themed “Charting the Future: Bold Leadership for Resilient Institutions,” was designed as a strategic platform for reflection, alignment and forward-looking dialogue aimed at strengthening leadership capacity, institutional resilience and service delivery across public sector institutions in Lagos State.
In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatals Monitoring, Mr. Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, described the retreat as a defining moment in the State’s governance journey, noting that it provides an opportunity for Chief Executive Officers to pause, reflect and recalibrate towards renewed commitment to excellence in public administration. He stated that the strength of public institutions, the credibility of governance systems and the quality of service delivery experienced by citizens are direct outcomes of leadership quality.
Delivering the keynote address, the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, commended the theme of the retreat, describing it as timely and reflective of the realities confronting public sector institutions. He noted that routine administration is no longer sufficient in a rapidly evolving global environment marked by economic volatility, technological disruption and rising public expectations. According to him, resilient institutions are built through intentional leadership, strong systems, accountable processes, capable teams and adaptive strategies aligned with the vision of building a Greater Lagos.
A major highlight of the retreat was a presentation by Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi (rtd. Permanent Secretary, LASG) on the topic “Leadership and Resilience for Navigating the New World of Work.” In her session, she emphasised that leadership resilience is no longer optional but a strategic necessity in today’s environment of continuous change and uncertainty. She noted that leaders are no longer merely managing change but are now required to lead through constant disruption, pressure and rising expectations.
Princess Adedoyin-Ajayi explained that resilience is not about working longer hours or enduring stress, but about the ability to think clearly, make sound decisions and sustain others under pressure. She stressed that resilient leadership is a system capability rather than a personal trait, noting that institutions must be intentionally designed to support leaders through clear decision rights, effective structures, manageable workloads and distributed leadership models. According to her, over-centralisation of decision-making, excessive approvals and multiple competing priorities often weaken institutional performance and exhaust leadership capacity.
She further highlighted that in the “new world of work,” public sector leaders must build systems that promote agility, accountability, innovation and collaboration across MDAs, while also strengthening public trust through consistent service delivery and credible policy execution. She noted that leadership behaviour sets the tone for organisational culture, stressing that what leaders tolerate or ignore eventually becomes institutional practice.
The facilitator also underscored the importance of moving away from the “heroic leadership” model towards sustainable leadership systems that distribute responsibility, encourage collaboration and build institutional memory. She challenged participants to reflect on areas where individual sacrifice is being used to compensate for system weaknesses, warning that such practices may undermine long-term institutional resilience.
Participants engaged in interactive sessions and reflective discussions focused on leadership capacity, decision effectiveness, organisational design and culture under pressure. The retreat is expected to provoke critical reflection, inspire organisational recalibration and catalyse actionable reforms that will strengthen the institutional foundations of Lagos State beyond individual tenures.
The Year 2026 CEOs’ Retreat continues with plenary sessions and knowledge-sharing engagements aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration, improving performance management systems and deepening a culture of accountability, transparency and results-driven governance in line with the Lagos State Government’s development agenda for a Greater Lagos
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