Elect Leaders That Will Effectively Drive Economic Devt, Cleric Tells Electorate

The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, has called on the Nigerian electorate to elect leaders that can provide quality leadership and effectively transform the fragile economy.

The Cleric said that many Nigerians occupying positions of leadership were never trained to lead, warning that the country cannot afford leaders who learn on the job at a time of deep economic and social uncertainty.

Adeyemi spoke ahead of the 2026 edition of the church’s annual Excellence in Leadership Conference (ELC), scheduled to hold Lagos.

“Sometimes only God knows who’s going to be governor. Who knows who’s going to be senator tomorrow? And most people occupying leadership positions in our country have not learned leadership anywhere,” he said.

He urged Nigerians not only to attend but to bring others along, describing the conference as “a great investment in their lives.”

This year’s conference is themed “Leading in Uncertainty”, a subject the organisers said speaks directly to what Nigerian leaders in business, government, ministry and the creative industries are grappling with: volatile markets, rising living costs, policy shifts and a fast-changing world of work, all with a general election cycle on the horizon.

In a joint message, Adeyemi and his wife, Nike Adeyemi, who co-host the conference, said the theme explores “what it truly means to lead when the ground keeps shifting economically, socially, and personally,” adding that participants would be equipped to “stand firm, think clearly, and lead boldly” and turn uncertainty into their greatest leadership advantage.

The two-day event will feature a line-up drawn from the pulpit, the boardroom, public service and the entertainment industry.

Among the speakers is the Global Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre, Bolaji Idowu, who oversees more than 30 campuses across Nigeria, West Africa, Europe and the United States and convenes Next Level Prayers, a daily online prayer community with hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide.

Also billed to speak is the Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, Oluwatobi Adeniyi, under whose leadership the consumer goods company’s market capitalisation has tripled in two years. Adeniyi, who also serves as Vice President (Multinationals) on the Executive Committee of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, is known for his advocacy of integrity-driven business leadership.

Former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, completes the line-up. Ayinde, a past National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners and current 1st Deputy President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, has long argued that “planning should precede development as thinking should precede speaking; to do otherwise is to expect chaos.”

Award-winning singer Timi Dakolo, popularly known as Nigeria’s “King of Soul” and the voice behind the patriotic anthem “Great Nation”, will bring his perspective from the creative industry to the conversation.

Nike Adeyemi, a speaker, author and humanitarian whose Real Woman Foundation focuses on empowering women and supporting vulnerable people, will also address participants alongside her husband, who has spent over three decades building leaders through initiatives such as the Daystar Leadership Academy, the Daystar Skills Acquisition Program and the Shifts Initiative.

Past attendees have described the conference as “a game-changer,” with many crediting it with practical strategies they went on to apply in their careers and businesses.

According to the organisers, the conference is free and open to the public, with no registration required. Sessions run from 9am to 2pm on both days at the church’s auditorium, Plot A3C, Ikosi Road,