Chief Executive Officers and business directors have been advised to invest more in healthy living initiatives and stay fit programmes that will avail qualitative business deliveries and proficiency in the growth of the nation’s economy and companies’ workforce.
President Institute of Director (IOD), Mr. Samuel ’Yemi Akeju’ gave the advice over the weekend during an exercise initiative tagged ‘Walk for Life’ embarked upon to promote good living lifestyle and fitness among members of the Nigerian IODs at Ikoyi in Lagos.
According to Yemi Akeju, health is wealth and wealth with health is vanity explaining that directors need to stay healthy and encourage this among their workforce for them to be able to turn their company to a successful business entity.
He said “The burden of companies’ human and material controls toward profitability and customers’ service delivery lies in the portfolio of a director and most of the time, this need to be done effectively and efficiently, hence we are advising that taking up regular exercise for mental and physical fitness for all.
“if Nigerian will change the culture of wealth above health it should start with us as directors and that is why we have continued to support and encourage this quarterly walk for life initiative with the hope that soon more awareness will be given to it.
Earlier In his remark a director and financial service industry expert, Mr. Olutola Mobolurin, who fledged off the walk which lasted for about an hour, also buttressed why it is crucial for directors to get involved in exercises beyond the unity of the mind and body.
“If people are healthy, they will be more alert, they will think straight and they will be fit. But if they are not healthy, it will affect the kind of decisions they make. So it is important for executives and captains of industries to be aware that health and fitness are important to their wellbeing.
“If they are inactive, it is not good for them and it is also not good for the people they are dealing with. Exercise is important for all business minded because it makes you fit to have better results, Infact engaging in regular exercise is the best way to prevent oneself from ace, pains and to feel good while one is ageing,” he said.
Not less than seventy professional directors participated in the walk which started from the Institute of Directors Secretariat up around Otunba Subomi Balogun’s house to connect Milverton road and link Bourdillon and then connect Bola Tinubu’s house and Jakande road and back to the secretariat.
Chairman, Health Committee, Dr Ebun Sonaiya noted that exercising has a lot of benefits including, reduction of the risk of having hypertension and diabetes, among others. He also advised some life style habit including reduction or avoiding intake of alcohol, checking of blood pressure regularly and reduce in the intake of fats.
