Hardship: Expert Advocates Personal Growth

Wisdom Ezekiel, the founder of 10x Africa, has emphasised that resilience, strategic thinking, and personal growth are the panacea for overcoming the country’s current economic challenges.

Speaking at the 2024 edition of the 10X Africa Conference, a day of learning and inspiration centred on navigating economic challenges through technological innovation, Ezekiel urged Nigerians to periodically re-evaluate their strategies, cut unproductive endeavours, and adopt innovative approaches to stay relevant.

Ezekiel, who revealed plans to expand the conference to other African nations, including Rwanda and Ghana, in future editions, said every hard time comes with opportunities to explore.

“Redefine hard times. Every hard time comes with great opportunities. Look on the good side rather than complain or give in,” he said.

He also urged participants to focus on their dreams and continuously acquire new skills.

He encouraged attendees to periodically reevaluate their strategies, cut unproductive endeavours, and adopt innovative approaches to stay relevant.

“When you learn new skills, you open up new opportunities for yourself. Learn something new and advance your life.

If all the money you have is what you worked for, you may work for a very long time. You must grow to the point where you make money while sleeping,” Ezekiel added.

Ezekiel announced the upcoming 10X Africa Masterclass, a six-session online programme starting in January 2025 to support participants further. The masterclass will feature seven facilitators and focus on strategies to scale through adversity and multiply results in the coming year.

The first keynote speaker, Dr Samson Olatunde, shared his journey of transforming passion into a profitable enterprise. He highlighted the importance of understanding the business side of one’s passion and building systems that extend beyond individual efforts.

“Passion is good,” Dr Olatunde remarked, “but without a system, it can become useless. Once you start doing something that benefits people, they’ll guide you on how to grow and diversify. You’ll leverage their insights.”

The second keynote speaker, Dotun Oloyede, challenged participants to think big even when starting small. He stressed the importance of courage, commitment, mentorship, and embracing technology to drive innovation.