Business leaders and industry professionals have identified weak confidence in locally manufactured products, inadequate skills development and limited opportunities for young people as obstacles to Nigeria’s economic growth.
They called for stronger support for indigenous enterprises, practical training and leadership development at Leadership Reboot 6.0, a programme under the Foundation for Excellence in Sustainability and Human Development (FESHD), held in Lagos on October 1, 2026.
Sharing his entrepreneurial experience, Atunde Shamsideen Olayinka, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yikodeen Company Limited, said gaining the confidence of corporate buyers was among the biggest challenges facing local manufacturers.
Olayinka, whose company produces safety footwear and personal protective equipment, explained that he established the business in 2016 after acquiring and refurbishing machinery from factories that had shut down.
Despite developing products that met customers’ requirements, he said the company struggled to secure orders because prospective buyers doubted the capabilities of Nigerian manufacturers.
He recalled approaching about 250 organisations, distributing product samples and conducting trials without securing substantial sales for several years.
The breakthrough came through engagement with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and opportunities associated with the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project.
According to him, the company secured significant orders in 2023 following prolonged product testing, enabling it to expand its operations.
Olayinka said Yikodeen had grown from six employees to about 350 factory workers, with production capacity reaching approximately 5,000 pairs of footwear.
‘You can actually start very small,’ he said, adding that resilience and investment in competent employees were essential to building a sustainable manufacturing business.
Delivering the keynote address, Oladunni Owo, Chief Executive Officer of Blackgold Energy Authorities and Advisory Consult, said economic empowerment must move beyond distributing temporary assistance to helping people acquire productive skills and establish viable businesses.
Drawing on her experience working with oil-producing communities, Owo recalled encountering residents who were unaware of opportunities to register businesses and supply goods or services to companies operating in their communities.
She argued that providing access to enterprise knowledge, mentorship and commercial opportunities would deliver more lasting benefits than occasional financial or material handouts.
‘Don’t look for handout,’ she told participants, urging them to pursue substantive economic empowerment.
Speaking further, Owo also introduced a three-part execution model built around deciding on clear objectives, documenting them and making consistent daily progress.
‘Do at least 1% of what you want to achieve every day. Take one step at a time,’ she said.
In her welcome address, Alhaja Nofisat Arogundade, former Director of Occupational Safety and Health at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, urged professionals to challenge outdated practices and apply new knowledge to workplace problems.
‘As leaders and professionals, we must keep growing. We must keep learning. We must be willing to question what we have always believed in,’ she said.
Also at the event, Eucharia Anunobi, actress and religious leader, called for greater individual responsibility in addressing Nigeria’s environmental and developmental challenges.
Drawing attention to poor waste disposal practices, Anunobi said citizens could contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment by changing everyday habits rather than waiting for government intervention.
‘If everyone of us can take a chance, make a decision and say to themselves, ‘I will not throw bottles of water outside my vehicle. I will dispose of my refuse properly,” she said, arguing that collective behavioural change could improve environmental conditions.
She stressed that meaningful progress required deliberate action, particularly among young people seeking to improve their circumstances.
‘Nothing can change until you decide to change,’ she said, encouraging participants to translate their aspirations into practical steps.
Jamiu Badmos, convener of Leadership Reboot and visioner of FESHD, said the programme began in 2021 during the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that QHSES Leadership Academy, another initiative under the foundation, subsequently introduced a six-month tuition-free professional development programme.
According to Badmos, the academy had graduated more than 2,000 participants, while approximately 6,700 people applied during its latest admission exercise, exceeding the number of places available.
‘We want you to be good. We want you to have character,’ he said, stressing that professional competence without integrity could undermine institutional development.
Similarly, Alex Akhigbe, convener of Nigeria Cleanup Day and founder and president of the African Cleanup Initiative, urged young Nigerians to identify business and career opportunities in solving environmental and social challenges.
Akhigbe said the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals offered a framework through which young people could develop solutions with relevance beyond their immediate communities.
‘For every young person in the house, what will set you apart or give you an edge is the solution that you are able to provide or the needs that you are able to meet, not just the opportunities that you have access to,’ he said.
Dolapo Agbede, who shared her experience of progressing in the engineering and telecommunications sectors despite losing her sight, highlighted the economic value of retaining skilled professionals.
She recounted how her employer continued to support her development after she was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma in 2007, allowing her to take on greater responsibilities and international assignments.
Her experience, she said, demonstrated why organisations should assess employees by their competence and contributions rather than physical limitations.
Also speaking, Nji Christian Ayafor, Chief Executive Officer of Globaltech Energy Services Limited, warned that professionals who failed to acquire emerging technological skills risked losing opportunities to more adaptable competitors.
‘AI is not here to take people’s jobs. Rather, what is happening as I’m speaking to you is that people who are using AI are taking your jobs,’ he said.
In an interview on the sidelines, Deji Oyinloye, Executive Team Lead of SustainablePEOPLE Group, emphasised the role of youth participation in national development.
He called for deliberate efforts to equip young Nigerians with the knowledge, practical skills and opportunities needed to assume leadership responsibilities and contribute to economic progress.
The conference, themed Elevate, Empower, Execute, underscored the need to connect leadership training with enterprise development, technological adaptation and job creation.