‘Innovation, creativity panacea to economic misery’

Corporate leaders across board in Nigeria have been told that innovation, creativity, technology adoption and the pursuit of excellence are panacea to the current economic miseries.

The leaders were also urged to uphold the virtues of integrity, consistency and shun mediocrity in 2025 if they must achieve set goals.

At the 2025 New Year Kickoff Summit held in Lagos, a Performance Strategist, Dr. Abiola Salami challenged Nigerians to transform their past limitations for their elevation, describing mediocrity as simply repeating the previous year’s performance.

Organized by CHAMP GLC with the theme, “Navigating Innovation & Growth in 2025”, the session provided strategic insights for participants to elevate their performance in the New Year. Salami highlighted: “Stagnation in performance is mediocrity, not poor performance.”

Focusing on leadership, goal-setting, and innovation, the event was rebranded from “Rock Like A Champion” to reflect its vision of empowering and inspiring professionals and entrepreneurs for a stronger start to the year.

“Our goal is to empower career professionals and entrepreneurs to achieve unprecedented success in 2025, ensuring this year’s results significantly surpass those of 2024,” Dr. Salami declared at the Summit.

Echoing Dr. Salami’s perspective, Araoye emphasized three key traits that drive workplace performance: flexibility, focus, and consistency, saying: “You cannot achieve peak performance without these qualities,” she admitted.

“A peak performer is adaptable, focused, and consistent. He embraces feedback, identifies areas for improvement, and views mistakes as stepping stones to growth. Above all, humility is the hallmark of a true peak performer.”

In another session, Obadare and Olusola shared insights on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI), and developing a money mindset for innovation and growth in 2025, respectively.

While Dr. Salami moderated the panel discussion, which was both engaging and enlightening, he skillfully guided the conversation, ensuring the panelists provided actionable strategies to help participants navigate challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

Prof. Obadare highlighted the transformative impact of technology on daily life, emphasizing how it has reshaped the way people manage their affairs.

He also issued a caution about the risks of public Wi-Fi. “Be mindful of what you do on public Wi-Fi. Your phone can be hacked using certain technological tools. The safest approach is to avoid public Wi-Fi altogether.”

Meanwhile, Olusola delved into the concept of a “Growth Mindset,” offering valuable advice on wealth creation. He remarked: “The only way to create and sustain wealth is to identify a problem and solve it. Once you’ve mastered solving that problem, the next step is to scale it.”

Shifting the focus to the challenges of addiction and its harmful impact on health, Aproko Doctor described it as a form of mental imprisonment created by the individual. “If you are struggling with something right now, it’s because of the story you’ve told yourself about it and the strong belief you have attached to it. That is why breaking free feels so difficult,” he explained.

He, therefore, admonished participants to prioritize healthy living by envisioning the person they aspire to become in 2025 and actively working toward that goal.

Austin Avuru, Founder of AA Holdings and one of the Sponsors of the event, shared nuggets on “Leading in Challenging Times”

He defined a Peak Performer as someone who excels with minimal supervision and shared his formula for success: “Discipline, focus, and integrity. Combine these with hard work, play hard, and stay focused on your goals, and you are unlikely to fail. Obstacles may arise, but you will ultimately succeed.”

The session featured three workshops that encouraged attendees to engage in reflection and self-appraisal as well envisioning and strategizing all geared towards fostering personal and professional growth for 2025.

Commenting, Dr. Salami said, “I am glad to see the hundreds of leaders who came out from private and public sector and the value they received as evidenced by the excellent feedback they gave us. We are encouraged by this feedback and the next edition of the summit will hold on Saturday January 17, 2026,” he added.