Human resource leaders, chief executives, business executives, and academics on Tuesday converged in Lagos for the HR Space Conference 2026, organised by Caleb University, where speakers called on HR professionals to move beyond administrative responsibilities and become strategic drivers of business resilience, workforce transformation, and organisational growth.
Held under the theme, “Re-imagining HR for Business, Resilience and Growth,” the conference brought together Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs), HR Directors, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), senior HR professionals, and industry leaders to examine strategic workforce planning, leadership in the gig economy, artificial intelligence (AI), talent development, and stronger collaboration between employers and higher education institutions to build a future-ready workforce.
Welcoming participants, the Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, said the institution remains committed to bridging the gap between academic learning and industry practice by producing graduates equipped for the evolving world of work.
Prof. Asikhia highlighted the activities of the Caleb Business School and the university’s Tech Hub, where students have developed HR technology solutions. He invited organisations to partner with the university in addressing workplace challenges through innovation, research, and practical collaboration.
“We are actively bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practice. We are producing graduates who are not just employable, but who are future-ready,” he said.
He added that the future of work is not something organisationsmerely enter but one they deliberately shape through collaboration, innovation, and leadership.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, the institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Oluwatoyin Naiwo, said organisations must rethink leadership development as workforce models continue to evolve.
Speaking on the topic, “Leadership Development in the Gig Economy: Alternative Workforce Models,” Naiwo said the modern workforce now extends beyond conventional employment to include freelancers, contractors, outsourced teams, platform workers, and other flexible talent arrangements, requiring HR leaders to adopt new approaches to leadership.
She emphasised that organisations should focus on workforce capability rather than headcount alone, adding that effective workforce planning must align people strategies with broader business objectives.
Naiwo also urged employers to strengthen partnerships with universities through internships, mentoring programmes, and industry collaboration to ensure graduates acquire practical workplace skills before entering the labour market.
She further advised organisations to embrace continuous learning, promote employee wellbeing, encourage responsible workplace flexibility, and adopt workforce models that balance business performance with fair employment practices.
Also speaking, Dr. Sophia Abiri-Franklyn, Director of the Centre for Global Engagement, Non-Government and Industry Partnerships at Caleb University, called for stronger collaboration among academia, employers, and professional bodies to build a sustainable talent pipeline.
According to Dr. Abiri-Franklyn, partnerships involving internships, research, executive education, mentoring, and industry-led training will better prepare graduates for employment while helping organisations address talent shortages and broader workforce development challenges.
Presenting a session titled, “From Administration to Architecture: Redesigning the HR Function for Business Resilience and Growth,”Jens R. Jenssen, Fellow and Senior Researcher at the Centre for International Human Resources Management, University of Cambridge, argued that HR must evolve from an administrative support function into a strategic partner that actively shapes business decisions.
Drawing on his experience in global organisations, Jenssen said people strategy should be fully integrated into business strategy, with boards of directors, chief executives, and business leaders assuming greater responsibility for organisational culture, leadership development, and workforce planning.
He also encouraged organisations to invest in long-term workforce planning, leadership development, technology, and workplace learning while automating routine HR processes to enable HR professionals to focus on strategic priorities that create sustainable business value.
Speaking on “Building Productive Future Skills: Upskilling, Reskilling and Lifelong Learning in AI-Disrupted and Inflationary Economies,” Prof. Christian Harrison, Professor of Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, said organisations must continue investing in people despite prevailing economic uncertainty.
Prof. Harrison noted that artificial intelligence, inflation, youth unemployment, and talent migration are reshaping the workplace, making continuous learning and skills development indispensable for both employers and employees.
According to him, the competencies employees possess today may not be sufficient for tomorrow’s jobs, urging organisations to prioritise upskilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning rather than reducing investment in employee development during challenging economic periods.
The conference concluded with a renewed call for HR professionals, business leaders, universities, and policymakers to collaborate in building resilient organisations through strategic leadership, future-focused workforce planning, stronger industry-academia partnerships, and sustained investment in people.
