Invest in 3C framework to expand membership, organisations — NESG boss

Chief Operations Officer (COO), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG),  Dr Tayo Aduloju, says professional bodies investing in coordination, cooperation and collaboration framework will increase their membership and guarantee expansion.

Aduloju, also Senior Fellow, Economic Policy, Strategy and Competitiveness, NESG, said this at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) Membership Summit on Thursday in Lagos.

The event had the theme: “Unlocking the power of membership economy.”

According to him, investing in these 3C framework is critical to build members for life in the face of the changing nature of membership landscape.

“The coordination arm of the 3Cs would help provide oversight, set strategic direction and decision making and help with corporate performance and control.

“The cooperation arm addresses co-production of products and services with members and communities, co-creation of projects and initiatives that are member-led and employee enabled.

“While collaboration enables shared ownership of goals, builds listening and active feedback loops and empowers communities and networks to learn faster together,” he said.

Aduloju who stated the need to join a membership economy, said the benefits included the creation of new knowledge and shared problem solving to fulfill individual or organisational goals.

He said membership economy could be expanded to influence governance in both public and private sector domains to drive economic growth and development.

He, however, emphasised the need for membership organisations to massively invest in technology and digital tools to keep members engaged and be abreast with recent developments.

“Obtaining an in-depth view of the characteristics of current and future members allows organisations to form the strategy development process in order to stay relevant and operate a sustainable business model.

“Digital tools help to segment these audiences, adding a vital strategic layer to activity.

“Without their members, membership organisations would not exist.

“Therefore, they must understand the market they are operating in, keep on top of key industry trends, and respond to the changing behaviours and expectations of their target audiences,” he said.

President, ICSAN, Mr Gbenga Owokalade, reassured of his commitment to grow the institute’s number and delivery value as well as effective corporate governance practices in both private and public sectors of the economy.

Chairman, Membership and Branch Liaison Committee, ICSAN, Mr Tony Okonmah,  said that the institute had employed some value and initiatives to improve the lot of its members and their contributions to socioeconomic development.

Okonmah said some of those initiatives included periodically organised free trainings, world class certifications, ongoing internship scheme for young graduates amongst others.

“This is with a view to improving their professional standards to enable them undertake a variety of senior roles in governance, leadership and public administration.

“The institute has also opened up a relationship with some standard hotels in Lagos and Abuja, such that members could get discount on their rates and we will continue to explore other initiatives to benefit members.

“Members are at the core of every organisation or association and a healthy membership will most definitely lead to a strong virile association,” he said.