IBDFM Inducts New Fellows, Celebrates Excellence in Business Diplomacy and Financial Management at Rivers State University

By: Destiny Tamunoala Emmanuel

 The Vice-Chancellor, Rivers State  University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi giving his Goodwill message assuring   the Institute of his commitment and   support

From L-R, Dr. Gado Shehu mni; Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi; Prof. Donald Ibama Hamilton and Prof. Willy Ugwuanyi moments after the Vice-Chancellor Rivers State University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi was inducted as a FELLOW of the Institute.

PORT HARCOURT, JULY 5, 2025 — The Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management (IBDFM) marked a historic milestone on Saturday 5th July, 2025 with the successful hosting of its 81st Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) Programme, held for the first time in Rivers State. The event, which took place at the DBA Hall of the Business School, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, brought together professionals, academics, and technocrats to witness a day of celebration, intellectual discourse, and professional recognition.

In his welcome address, Dr. Gado Shehu, mni, President and Chairman of Council of the Institute, expressed deep satisfaction at the significance of the event, which combined the investiture of new Fellows with a lecture on the Strategic Role of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you most cordially to the 81st Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) Programme of the Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management,” he said.

“This MCPD programme titled ‘Role of Strategy in Business Diplomacy and Financial Management’ will also feature Investiture of Fellowship and Induction of eligible members into different membership grades. Permit me to say that this is a very significant event in the annals of this institute, being the first in Rivers State.”

Dr. Shehu reaffirmed the Institute’s legal and professional standing, highlighting its recognition by the Federal Ministry of Education and its registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act. “I am, therefore, full of gladness in my heart, that the activities and induction of distinguished and eminent individuals today has all the elements of legitimacy,” he noted. Reflecting on the Institute’s growing impact, he emphasized how IBDFM has created unique opportunities for executives, academics, and policy experts to collaborate on initiatives that yield long-term economic and institutional benefits, both locally and internationally.

The President also took time to commend the day’s Keynote Speaker, Professor Donald Ibama Hamilton, whom he described as the Institute’s Pioneer Fellow in Rivers State, and extended special congratulations to the Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who was honoured as the first Fellow to be inducted from the University. “I congratulate you, Mr. VC Sir, and believe that you will add great value to the Institute based on your antecedents,” he said.

Delivering the Keynote Lecture titled “Strategy, Financial Management and Business Diplomacy”, Professor Donald Hamilton, a Professor of Business Policy and Strategy, offered a compelling exploration of the relationship between strategic thinking and the principles of diplomacy and finance in achieving sustainable business success. He stated that business diplomacy acts as an enabler, noting that in complex environments such as Nigeria, diplomacy is vital in smoothing the rough edges of business and management challenges.

Prof. Hamilton critiqued the traditional siloed approach to strategy, asserting that many failures in business arise not from lack of planning but from failures in diplomacy. He introduced Henry Mintzberg’s “5Ps” model of strategy—Plan, Ploy, Pattern, Position, and Perspective—as a dynamic framework that offers insight into how organizations should align their internal perspectives with external realities. He outlined different levels of strategy, from corporate and business-level strategies to functional and operational planning, and emphasized the importance of integrating diplomacy at every level.

He argued that competitive success today demands more than sharp strategies, stressing that it requires a diplomatic sensibility to anticipate conflict, foster collaboration, and create sustainable competitive advantages. 

The event also witnessed the formal investiture of several high-profile personalities as Fellows of the Institute. Among them were Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University; Professor John Ohaka, Dean of the Faculty of Administration and Management at Rivers State University; Pastor Dr. Peace Ibiyeomie, wife of the founder of Salvation Ministries and Hon. Allison Anderson Igbiks, a serving member of the House of Representatives. The President congratulated all inductees and assured them of a rewarding and collaborative professional experience within the IBDFM community.

In his goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, thanked the Institute for the honour done to him and the University.  He assured them of his commitment and support to take the Institute to greater heights.

The Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr. S.D. Tusha, FBDFM, underscored the historic nature of the event, noting that it marked a new chapter for IBDFM in the Niger Delta region and demonstrated the growing recognition of the Institute’s relevance and authority in professional capacity building.

The 81st MCPD Programme of the IBDFM concluded with a renewed commitment to advancing the frontiers of strategic excellence in business diplomacy and financial management. The ceremony not only celebrated new members but also solidified IBDFM’s position as a pivotal institution shaping the future of professional leadership and institutional development in Nigeria.