At the Duke’s Masterclass 2026 in Abuja, Vice-President Kashim Shettima delivered a message that went far beyond the usual government talking points. Speaking through his Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr. Tope Fasua, he appealed directly to business leaders, professionals and the media to step into a new role: not just observers of Nigeria’s economic reforms, but active translators of those reforms for ordinary citizens. He was clear that policies such as the removal of the fuel subsidy, the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, fiscal restructuring and stronger efforts to increase government revenue are difficult and, in some cases, painful. But he insisted they are not meant to punish Nigerians. They are meant, he said, to build a stronger and more competitive economy, one in which businesses can invest and expand, investors can plan with greater confidence, and public resources can be used more wisely. The success of those reforms, he argued, depends on more than the quality of the policies themselves. It depends on how well the government explains their purpose, how credibly it shows progress, and how genuinely it listens to the experiences of people who are living through the transition. His central point was simple and powerful: economic policy cannot survive in a vacuum of misunderstanding. As he put it, “The task is not merely to announce policies; it is to build understanding, confidence, and a shared sense of national purpose.”
Shettima then turned to the people in the room and beyond, urging the middle class, business community and professionals to take ownership of the national conversation. Their responsibility, he said, is not to defend every government decision and not to dismiss public complaints, but to encourage honest, informed discussions based on facts and a real understanding of how the economy works. He offered practical examples of what this looks like in everyday life. When speaking with a trader, he said, explain the opportunities that economic stability can create while acknowledging the pressures of daily business. When engaging with a young graduate, encourage enterprise and innovation while recognising the urgent need for employment. Constructive criticism, he said, is necessary for good governance because citizens who understand the direction of economic policies are better equipped to participate in emerging opportunities rather than being left behind. He also devoted significant attention to the growing threat of misinformation, especially on social media. Artificial intelligence, he warned, has made it frighteningly easy to manipulate photographs, clone voices and produce fake videos that can destroy reputations and mislead the public. A rumour can spread from one phone to a million in minutes, sometimes long before the person or institution affected has had a chance to establish the facts. He urged public institutions and businesses to strengthen their ability to verify information, correct false reports quickly and transparently, and communicate through channels people actually trust. But he also placed responsibility on ordinary citizens, asking them to question sensational reports before sharing them. “Verify before publishing, correct mistakes transparently, communicate with empathy, and allow evidence to speak,” he said.
Despite the difficulties, Shettima made clear that he sees a promising future for Nigeria, not a hopeless one. He pointed to the country’s considerable opportunities in banking, financial technology, oil and gas, agriculture, commodity exports, real estate, construction and the creative industry. He highlighted Nigeria’s young population, its entrepreneurial spirit, its growing financial sector and its rapidly expanding digital economy as important foundations for growth. But he was equally honest about the obstacles that stand in the way: unreliable electricity, inefficient transport, security challenges, limited access to financing, gaps in education and public institutions that are not yet strong enough to support rapid development. These are not minor issues, and he acknowledged that they must be addressed before the country’s potential can be fully realised. He called for increased local production, greater exports, productive investment and strong support for small businesses so they can grow into larger enterprises. He also made a point about fairness that was hard to miss: economic opportunities must not remain concentrated among a small section of the population. Women, young people and rural communities must be brought into the process. In closing that part of his address, he framed national development as a shared responsibility. Government, he said, must create the conditions for growth. The private sector must invest and innovate. But professionals, he stressed, have a special duty to connect policy with public understanding, ambition with action, and opportunity with participation.
The theme of responsible leadership and public confidence continued in the address by Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited. He warned that in an age of instant digital communication, economic disruptions, geopolitical tensions and shifting public expectations, leadership has become far more difficult than it used to be. Reputations built carefully over decades can suffer serious damage within hours, and leaders cannot assume they will have time to respond thoughtfully when a crisis breaks. He was blunt about the limits of control: leaders cannot always prevent crises, especially those caused by events far beyond their reach. But what they can control is the quality of their response. Courage, sound judgement, transparency and integrity in the moment of crisis will determine how much damage an organisation suffers. Employees want reassurance, investors want confidence, regulators demand accountability, citizens expect answers and the media seeks information. Ashiru argued that reputation cannot be created at the point of crisis because it is the product of years of decisions, conduct and consistency between promises and actions. Communication matters, he said, but communication without credibility is rarely sustainable. He called on corporate executives, government officials and public office holders to build strong institutions and systems before trouble arrives, rather than waiting until a disaster to begin protecting their reputations. He also made a striking point about the global stage: Nigerian companies and their leaders have valuable lessons to share, and those lessons deserve recognition in international institutions. He recalled challenging the heavy use of American and European business cases at Harvard and offering a Nigerian case study instead, arguing that African businesses should not be overlooked when the world discusses corporate leadership and management.
Kola Adesina, Chairman of AXA Mansard and Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, took the conversation even deeper. He told the audience that integrity matters more than reputation because integrity is the foundation on which lasting public confidence is built. A person or organisation can spend years cultivating a good name, but dishonest conduct, broken promises and poor decisions can destroy that confidence almost overnight. Reputation, he said, is shaped by everyday actions: how people treat others, how they respond to failure, whether they keep their promises and how they conduct business when nobody is watching. “Your reputation is a matter of choice. It’s a decision. It’s something you do even before the crisis starts to happen,” he said. He warned business leaders against compromising product quality, misleading customers or manipulating financial records to achieve short-term gains, saying those practices eventually erode credibility in ways that no public relations campaign can repair. Using Nigeria’s electricity industry as an example, he argued that customers do not want long explanations of technical problems; they simply want reliable power. Businesses, he said, must be judged by the quality of the services they deliver and how well they meet the needs of the people they serve. He also connected Nigeria’s international reputation to the collective conduct of its citizens and institutions, and then turned his attention to public officials. Inflating the cost of government projects for personal gain, he warned, leads to poor infrastructure, unsafe roads and inadequate healthcare, and it is ordinary Nigerians who suffer the consequences. Public office, he said, should be treated as an opportunity to serve, not as a means of accumulating wealth. Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku then shared lessons from his years of international diplomacy. He recalled helping to promote multiparty democracy in countries like Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Seychelles, and his intervention during the difficult negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. He described nearly seeing the talks collapse after the Boipatong massacre, tracking down a reluctant leader who was staying under an assumed name, and persuading him to sign a memorandum that allowed the negotiations to move forward. He also recounted his mediation in Bangladesh, where political rivalry had brought the country to a standstill. The lesson he drew from these experiences was clear: effective conflict resolution requires a deep understanding of the issues dividing opposing parties, a careful study of their personalities and interests, and great caution in communicating progress. Announcing developments prematurely, he warned, can undermine the entire process and make an agreement much harder to reach.
The event was organised by the Duke of Shomolu Foundation, and its founder, Joseph Edgar, explained the thinking behind the programme. The masterclass, he said, was designed to help individuals and organisations anticipate crises, prepare appropriate responses and limit the damage that can follow when things go wrong. He was frank about the state of leadership in Nigeria and beyond, saying there is clearly a crisis, but he added that he no longer believes the solution lies in waiting for better leaders. “I am looking at followership,” he said, meaning that ordinary citizens and professionals must take responsibility for the kind of society they help create. The foundation, he noted, has not abandoned its commitment to theatre and the arts; it is adding the masterclass as another channel to promote social cohesion, empower citizens and encourage responsible leadership. He urged organisations not to wait until problems arise before deciding how to communicate with the public, warning that poorly prepared press statements can sometimes make an already difficult situation worse. The Duke’s Masterclass 2026, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, brought together business executives, government officials, communications professionals, diplomats and other participants to examine leadership, institutional credibility, crisis management and the responsibilities of those in positions of influence. Its theme, “Penetrative Leadership: Definitive Strategies in Robust Crisis and Reputational Management in an Increasingly Chaotic World Order,” captured the anxiety of a time when trust is fragile and misinformation is everywhere. The organisers said the Abuja edition was just the beginning, with plans to continue the programme in London in March 2027. At its heart, the gathering was a reminder that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about communicating honestly, building trust before it is needed, acting with integrity and remembering that every decision, large or small, shapes the reputation of a person, an institution and ultimately the nation itself.