Sam Adeyemi Urges Nigerians to Drive National Change.

The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, has urged Nigerians to look beyond personal success and use their influence to address the country’s challenges.

Adeyemi made the call at the closing session of the 2026 Excellence in Leadership Conference (ELC), a two-day event held at Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun, Lagos.

The conference, themed “Leading in Uncertainty,” brought together leaders from different sectors to discuss leadership and the challenges facing the country.

The cleric urged leaders to prepare for unexpected changes rather than spend time seeking certainty about the future. He identified the 2027 general elections, sudden government policy changes and artificial intelligence as developments that could create uncertainty.

“Life is too small to be the purpose of one’s life,” Adeyemi said, urging Nigerians to use their positions and influence to contribute to national development.

Bolaji Idowu, Global Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre, recounted the difficulties he faced while establishing the church. He recalled that the ministry started with six people meeting in a hotel for six months.

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At one point, the church struggled to raise N3,000 for its midweek services. Idowu warned that leaders must communicate during difficult periods rather than allow uncertainty to create fear among their followers.

“When leadership goes silent in uncertainty, fear becomes contagious,” he said.

Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Tobi Adeniyi, also recounted his experience of rejection after completing his National Youth Service Corps programme.

Adeniyi said the organisation where he served as a corps member initially denied him entry after his service year ended. He later rejected a better-paying banking job to join Unilever as a management trainee, despite receiving a lower salary offer.

He also recalled how his team kept a factory operating during the Apapa Port congestion by obtaining raw materials from a competing company. The experience, according to him, demonstrated the  importance of remaining focused on organisational goals during difficult periods.

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Singer Timi Dakolo shared a personal account of losing the grandmother who raised him while competing in Idols West Africa. He urged young Nigerians to turn frustration into practical plans for the future.

“Anger is not a strategy. We are not the first generation to be angry… you must have a plan and a routine,” Dakolo said.

Former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, recounted his childhood separation from his parents at the age of six. He also described a difficult period in 1999 when he had only N3.

Ayinde said integrity guided his public service, adding that he never recommended his private consultancy firm for government contracts throughout his tenure as commissioner.

The conference co-host, Pastor Nike Adeyemi, also shared how a fire at a facility belonging to the Real Woman Foundation in 2024 led to the organisation securing a new facility twice the size of its former location.

She said the incident also paved the way for the establishment of the Real Diva Institute, which recently graduated its first set of students.

Source: Guardian News