The prospects for attracting, retaining and engaging talents in Nigeria were the core focus of the 2022 edition of the "Champions of Talent Development" two-day conference hosted by the Learning and Development Network International, LDNI, in collaboration with partners.

In his welcoming address at the event, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the CTD 2022 conference, Mr. John Wesey, said, "this year the conference will focus on how team leaders, organizations and nations at large should attract, engage, and retain talents amid uncertainties and complexities."

He said the theme of the conference, "Attract, Engage, Retain," was chosen out of a plethora of ideas that came up when the committee was set up and became apt as it surveyed what was happening in the global and local talent management space.

"Nigeria and Africa are at a crossroads, and we believe this conference will provide an avenue to address how we can improve talent management and leadership practices."

In his remarks, the President of the Learning and Development Network International, LDNI Reverend Collins Edebiri, noted that the search for rounded talents had become a critical need for driving competition and ensuring organizations' survival in mounting business and societal challenges.

He believed the conference offered the opportunity to strengthen partnerships, collaboration and professionalism, which will be of immense value to organizations.

Rev. Edebiri added that despite the socio-economic challenges in Nigeria, the conference was an avenue to address the talent shortage issues and catalyze human capital development.

Mr. Oladimeji Alo, Founding President of LDNI, in his goodwill, described the theme of the conference as apt and commended the organizers for sustaining the conversation on talent management in the country.

His presentation on "Borderless Learning and the Workplace-Are Employees and Employers Embracing the Shift?" Dr. Adewale Adesina, Director, Learning Content Management, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), stressed that learning and development are critical for the growth of organizations.

He cited a Cisco Survey and Gallup Poll, which revealed that post-COVID nineteen, more people in Nigeria and the United States preferred the "Remote Working Experience," which enables flexibility in the workplace.

The scholar who represented the Vice Chancellor of the NOUN, Prof. Femi Peters, said the imperatives for change as it affects workplace dynamics implied that talent development and acquisition are critical steps for organizations to achieve stability, efficiency and productivity.

He advised organizations to invest in digital infrastructure and their employees' reskilling through devices, data, digital platforms and digital literacy.

The opening day session covered two concurrent sessions covering ten topics, a panel discourse on "Managing and Retaining Talents in a world that is diverse and hybrid," and a keynote presentation on "Career and leadership development: The Nigerian Armed Forces Perspective."