COVID-19: PenOp Organises Knowledge Sharing Session for PFAs

Ebere Nwoji

Issues bothering on how to make the most of flexible working situation in the face of new wave of COVID19, how business managers can use the challenge to their advantage as well as how they can drive business outcomes and performances under a remote and flexible work environment, formed the thrust of discussions at the recent knowledge sharing session organised by the Pension Operators Association of Nigeria( PenOp).

PenOp is the umbrella body of all licensed pension fund administrators in Nigeria.

PenOp Chief Executive officer, Oruche Aguda, speaking at the forum, said the monthly session was for C-level executives, human resources and other personnel in the pension industry and stood as a forum where various subject matter experts were invited to dig deeper into topical issues that add value to the audience and the industry in general.

He said mental health check-ins were very important in this new phase of work, adding that the monthly knowledge sharing sessions were opportunity for the pension industry to discuss salient issues and interact with a view to improving understanding of various topical issues.

He said PenOp, came up with the knowledge sharing initiative because of realisation of the fact that following the uncertainty in the business environment as a result of the COVID pandemic, many companies locally and internationally were struggling to cope with the new nature of work.

He said with many countries facing a third wave of the COVID pandemic, some had instituted lockdown measures and travel restrictions, noting that this had forced many companies to push back their plan for physical opening and brought up a number of issues for businesses.

Also speaking, resource person at the August edition of the programme, and Chief Executive Officer, Learning Impact Nigeria, Omagbitse Barrow, highlighted the benefits and disadvantages of remote and hybrid working; stating that while this was not an entirely new phenomenon, it had certainly gained traction in the last 18 months.

He advised organisations to leverage communication systems, institute virtual hangout sessions for staff and clients and use technology for workflow checks and most importantly prioritise wellness and mental health Check-ins.

He further said the fact that everything rises and falls on leadership, in an ever-changing work environment; leadership development has to be prioritised for satisfactory business outcomes.

According to him, organisations need to build resilience to cope in the new volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.