Nigerians have been urged to make rest a daily habit to stay healthy, reduce burnout and function better, especially as many citizens continue to describe 2025 as one of the most mentally and physically draining years in recent times.
This advice was repeated in Abuja during a three day retreat organised by The Development Conversations Global, themed: Rest, Reflect, Recharge 2.0 — The Reset Your Purpose Deserves, held from 4th to 6th in Abuja.
Founder of The Development Conversations Global, Tobi Ransomed, said rest is no longer a luxury for those working in demanding environments but the foundation for meaningful work.
She explained that many practitioners are so accustomed to responding to crises that they no longer know how to pause.
She said “You cannot pour from an empty cup. This retreat was designed to help development workers unplug, rest and recentre so they can show up better in the coming year.”
Ransomed, explained that the retreat was created specifically for development and social impact practitioners; professionals in education, child protection, health, humanitarian programming and both local and international NGOs who carry the weight of community problems daily.
She said rest sharpens thinking, allows practitioners to evaluate their lessons, and helps them reconnect with who they are as individuals beyond their work titles.
One of the retreat’s reminders, she said, was that even in a tough economy, citizens can create simple rest routines.
She encouraged Nigerians to introduce small pockets of rest into their week, short walks, journaling, voice notes to oneself, time with family, or 30 minute breaks to reset the mind.
She said, “If you can’t rest every day, take one day a week to switch off your phone, close the TV and sleep. Body no be firewood.”
Ransomed urged Nigerians to not only prioritise rest but also rediscover the culture of service.
She said, “When you tell people in this field to rest, they ask what rest means when needs are everywhere. But you must refill yourself to keep serving. These three days were for them to unplug, rest and reflect on the journey of 2025 and what they want to do better in 2026.
“Your work is an expression of who you are. If the person behind that work is drained, the work will suffer.
“If you are well rested, you can think clearly; The ability of a development practitioner to rest is so important because it is only someone that is well rested, someone that has taken care of their well-being that can do this work; it will also impact their own workspace.
“Service is not always money. It is offering your seat to an older person, slowing down at the zebra crossing, or showing kindness,” Toby said.
Her husband, board member of TDC Global, and Chief Servant, Kavod Relief, Ransomed Chibueze, described rest as a culture Nigerians must cultivate intentionally.
He said the programme was timely, especially in a year marked by global disruptions in the development sector, funding cuts, and increased demands on aid workers.
He added that rest boosts productivity, reduces irritability, and helps prevent mental health crises.
He said, “For me, transitions are periods of rediscovering yourself beyond what you do. This retreat helps people leave their practitioner hats behind and come as themselves. After a year of pressure, they needed a space to breathe, reflect and prepare for 2026 with a clearer mind.
“Sometimes the colleague who gets angry easily only needs sleep,” he said.
Another speaker, lawyer, Identity & Emotional Intelligence Coach, Kemi Fred-Adetiba, urged Nigerians to be intentional about self awareness, emotional regulation and maintaining healthy boundaries.
She described rest as a universal language and a divine command, encouraging Nigerians to pause more often, stressing that insight and clarity often come when people slow down and reflect.
“Rest is not a reward for hard work; it is part of the work. Most Nigerians hustle endlessly, but you cannot know when you need rest if you do not know yourself. Rest keeps you whole.”
During his lecture titled Community – You Don’t Have to Walk Alone, Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Usie Charles Emmamuzou, said rest is closely tied to effectiveness.
He explained that rest is a time to stop, think and make new decisions, adding that many people misunderstand effectiveness as simply doing more, even when outcomes are poor.
He said, “REST means a time to stop, to think, and to make new decisions. That’s what I try to capture by unpacking the principle of effectiveness. And what I tried to do was to make the participants understand the paradigm of what true effectiveness means.
“Because many people think wrongly of effectiveness as having to do more and more, even if you don’t think of the results. And then, when you have the time to think and to recalibrate, then you make new decisions.
“With rest, you recalibrate. You sharpen your decisions, evaluate your convictions and understand why you do what you do. Only then can you return to the work with clarity and produce real impact,” he said.
The organisers hinted that the programme will expand in 2026, with increased interest from professionals in the corporate, creative and faith based spaces.
