By Sanee Yarima
The International Coaching Federation Nigeria Charter Chapter (ICFN) recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a week-long International Coaching Week (ICW) from Monday, May 12, to Friday, May 17, 2025.
Established in January 2015 and formally launched in May of the same year, ICFN is the first ICF chapter in West Africa, joining two other charter chapters located in South Africa and Ghana.
Founded by a group of dedicated coaching professionals, ICFN aims to advance professional coaching in Nigeria and the surrounding region.
The organization promotes high standards, ethics, and credibility in coaching, aligning with ICF’s global mission to integrate coaching into society.
ICFN provides resources, networking, and professional development opportunities, organizes events like workshops and pro bono coaching sessions during ICW, and supports coaches in making a positive impact on individuals’ lives through effective coaching practices.
Starting with just 10 members at its inception, ICFN has now grown to over 100 members, with 46 members holding Credential Badges categorized as MCC, PCC, ACC, or ACTC.
ICW is an annual global celebration of professional coaching typically held in May.
The 2025 celebration took place from May 12 to 18 and was initiated in 1999 by ICF to educate the public on the value of coaching, highlighting its transformative impact, and promoting its benefits for individuals and organizations.
During ICW, coaches worldwide hosted various events, such as webinars, workshops, panel discussions, public coaching demonstrations, and pro bono sessions, to showcase how coaching unlocks potential, fosters growth, and inspires positive change.
The week encourages participation from coaches, clients, and those interested in coaching, fostering connections and raising awareness of the profession’s role in personal and professional development.
The week kicked off with a conference titled “A Decade of Coaching Impact,” held at the Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, ICF President, Nigeria Charter Chapter, Akanimo Ekong, who highlighted the activities and impacts of the organisation, a decade after it came into existence, also revealed that ICFN has been faring well 10 years after it was formed in the country.
“We have fared very well. We are in 2025, in 2015, the founding fathers and women who started were about five coaches who advanced to professional coaching. Today, we are 100 plus strong.
“I am very proud of our achievements so far, and for various reasons, including the fact that a lot of people use the word, “coaching”, loosely. Anybody can just attend a one-day training and say ‘I am a coach’.
“But we belong to ICF, which is the only standard in coaching. In over 140 countries, there are 62,000 members strong, and they take coaching very seriously. You go through a very rigorous training programme.
Ugochi Ossai, Vice President of ICFN, also spoke on the journey so far, declaring that “ICFN came at a time when not too many people knew what coaching was all about; they don’t have too many coaches.”
She further said: “But ICFN has grown over the years, with the efforts of the people that started it. Publicity was given; we tried to reach out to corporate organisations to sell the benefits of coaching and how coaching can fast-track even organisational structural goals and plans.
“So, it has been an interesting 10 years and we are happy. We believe that, by the 11th year, if not everybody in Nigeria, most people -80 per cent to 85 per cent would begin to understand the difference between the basketball coach and the coach.
“This is because of the value we bring to the table, because of how it helps leaders to become a better version of themselves, to become more intentional, more able to inspire trust in their followers, and, ultimately, that boils down to the bottom line.”
Femi Odelusi, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with ICF, is the Director of Education and Credential Support at ICFN who spoke on the low level of awareness about ICF and coaching as a profession, described coaching as one of the most misunderstood and mis-contexted professions in the world.
Odelusi said: “An event such as we are having today is the opportunity to bring coaching to the awareness of a lot of people, to demystify some of the misconceptions about coaching.
“When people hear about coaching, the first thing they can think about is that it is sports and sporting activities. But coaching, as a profession, is more about humanity. It is more about enabling or empowering people to achieve their personal or professional goals,” he stated.
According to Odelusi, coaching requires a lot of training and retraining to maintain coaching standards.
“From ICF, we have three distinct levels of coaching professionalising; we have the Associate Certified Coach (ACC), we have the Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and we have the Master Certified Coach (MCC).
On his part, the Director of Membership, ICFN, Charles Okeibunor spoke on how receptive the Nigerian society is to the idea, vision and mission of ICF, especially as it related to the contributions of coaching to discovering the human essence in every individual, corporate organisation and leaders in the public space.
“Brian Tracy says if you spend 30 minutes in absolute solitude, you will be able to distil solutions to problems that have built over 30 years. So, you will find that radically few people, except those who are sleeping, spend 30 minutes in absolute solitude.
Given the growing awareness of ICFN across the country, it is safe to say that coaching is fast gaining acceptability in society, the individual, corporate organisations and leaders in all spheres.
Ekhoe Ogie, ICFN Programme Director says the future of coaching in Nigeria is very bright for ICFN, especially as Nigerians are now embracing coaching.
Ogie explained that coaching helps people not only be focused but also be resilient about accomplishing their goals and ensuring accountability, saying, “Yes, the prospects are enormous for us here in Nigeria.”
The conference featured Dr. Tunde Reis, a retired Brigadier-General from the Nigerian Army, as the keynote speaker.
Panellists included ICFN members Samson Umurhurhu (PCC), Dr. Mirian Kene Kachikwu (PCC), Femi Odelusi (PCC), and Linda Uneze (ACC).
In his presentation on “Innovative Leadership: Coaching as a Catalyst for Transformation,” Dr. Tunde Reis emphasized the importance of innovative leadership.
He explained that innovative leaders distinguish themselves through their vision and ability to empower others, unlocking potential by cultivating team strengths and fostering a culture of curiosity that encourages exploration and learning.
As the Founder and Chairman of First World Communities Limited and First World Ventures Limited (UK), he asserted that innovation is crucial in our rapidly changing, Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) world, which demands continuous innovation and a shift away from the outdated “command” and “control” leadership style.
He said new leadership models require agility, collaboration, and diverse perspectives, making coaching a vital force for innovation.
Dr. Reis articulated that fostering collective intelligence and collaboration involves learning from innovation stories, facilitating dialogue, and valuing diverse viewpoints to help teams co-create solutions.
He encouraged moving beyond a hierarchical approach and fostering a sense of shared responsibility towards innovation.
He also shared insights on how coaching can drive innovation by providing a safe and supportive environment to explore challenges and identify strengths, empowering individuals to develop solutions, and encouraging discovery through thought-provoking questions.
Dr. Tunde Reis emphasized the importance of focusing on learning, development, and continuous improvement, viewing setbacks not as failures but as opportunities for growth.
Additionally, he maintained that cultivating adaptability and resilience is crucial for navigating the uncertainties of innovation.
According to him, innovation is fundamentally driven by empathy and psychological safety, noting that these factors influence all human endeavours.
He pointed out that developing innovative leadership requires a combination of curiosity and empathy, prompting leaders to reflect on their assumptions, actively seek feedback, and embrace continuous learning.
Reis continued to say “By becoming more adaptable and visionary, leaders can empower others and inspire collaboration.
He described Himself as “BBC” (Born Before Computer), noting that he is currently learning technology from his children, affirming that “innovative leadership is a continuous evolution.
Furthermore, Dr. Tunde Reis emphasized that coaching provides a powerful roadmap, guiding leaders to ask insightful questions and empowering others to find their solutions to collectively shape a more innovative and impactful future.
