By Adeyemi Rosiji
Experts in entrepreneurship, branding and the creative industry have urged Nigerian youths to pursue purpose, develop a strong sense of identity and convert their influence into sustainable income rather than chasing visibility without direction.
The experts, including business expert and thought leader, Oluwadarasimi Shepherd; Creative Director, BTT Event Creative Company, Babatumise Agboola; and brand influencer, Damola Owotomi, gave the advice at the Shepherd Summit, an entrepreneurial and creative gathering held at Brooks Park, Oluyole, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The summit, with the theme, “Become Impossible to Ignore,” brought together business owners, founders, creatives and young professionals to discuss purpose, identity, influence, leadership and strategies for building sustainable businesses and careers.
Speaking on the rationale for the summit, Shepherd said the initiative was designed to address challenges of identity, influence and income confronting many young people and equip them with practical knowledge to transform their lives and careers.
He said the summit would help participants understand who they were, identify the kind of influence they should pursue and learn how to convert attention and influence into legitimate economic opportunities.
Shepherd stressed that understanding one’s identity should precede the pursuit of public recognition, noting that clarity about one’s values and purpose would help determine the audience, relationships and opportunities attracted.
“Understand who you are. When you understand who you are, you know whose attention you need. Then you make money from their attention,” he said.
He urged young entrepreneurs and creatives to discover their purpose and remain committed to seemingly small responsibilities, saying consistency, diligence and excellence were essential to achieving meaningful success.
According to him, individuals should give their best to whatever responsibility they find themselves handling, as commitment to small assignments could prepare them for bigger opportunities.
Shepherd also identified what people listen to, say and see as three major channels through which the mind could be positively or negatively influenced.
He therefore charged participants to be deliberate about the information they consume, the messages they communicate and the environments and content to which they expose themselves.
Also speaking, Agboola urged young Nigerians to develop the capacity to receive correction, describing openness to constructive criticism as an essential quality for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.
He cautioned participants against allowing the opinions of everyone around them to determine their decisions, saying excessive dependence on external validation could hinder personal growth and decision-making.
“The best way to fail in life is to listen to everyone,” he said.
Agboola, however, stressed that while people should not be controlled by public opinion, they must remain open to constructive correction.
“If you can’t be corrected, you cannot lead,” he said, urging participants to focus on producing results that demonstrate their competence and value.
He also urged young entrepreneurs and creatives to develop internal motivation rather than depending entirely on external validation or encouragement.
Another speaker, Owotomi, popularly known as The Coach, challenged young business owners and creatives to use their influence deliberately and positively while establishing clear values.
He said influence could be deployed for either positive or negative purposes, making it necessary for individuals to determine what they stood for and ensure their activities created beneficial outcomes.
Owotomi called on the participants to prioritise continuous personal development, saying knowledge, skills and capacity were critical to building sustainable businesses and creating lasting impact.
“You have to stand for something because if you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for anything,” he said.
He added that anyone seeking to build something significant must be prepared to invest consistently in personal development, knowledge and capacity.
Other speakers at the summit included Ogunleye Aderinsola, founder of April Fabrics; Maya Assaf, founder of Maison Maya Trade; and Dr Adesola Adeyemi, founder of Bizlift and Password, among others.
