General News
Skills Needed to Succeed in a Changing World
By Dave Wakeman
As we head into the homestretch of 2021, we are still being heavily impacted by the pandemic—and it seems like a society that is restructuring (or realigning) itself due to challenges and issues that the pandemic uncovered.
Dave Wakeman
Reading this morning’s paper highlighted this to me. It got me thinking about the types of skills that a PM is going to need to highlight (or build) to ensure that they are on top of the ever-changing world we are living in.
Here are my top three:
1. Communication: I feel like any good list on what makes a good PM should always contain improving your communication skills, but in this regard the communication skills we need to improve are a bit more broad than normal.
In a general sense, we always want to remember that your communications need to be clear, concise and easy to understand. But as we expand here, we need to make certain that we have the ability to communicate with folks clearly in different cultures. This might mean recognizing how different phrases translate or different customs come across.
The key to being a successful communicator in a changing world is that you need to focus on the receiver of the communication—with an emphasis placed on things that might make your communications fall flat. Because even when you share a common language, the gulf in understanding can be significant.
2. Negotiation: We hear a lot about different issues that are being exposed around the world right now, like supply chain backups, staff shortages and demand issues. The list goes on and can contain hundreds of variations on each issue, but the key idea here is that even if you are dealing with a challenge, a good PM has to find ways to resolve issues. This comes down to negotiation. And what is negotiation but solution seeking at its finest?!
To be an effective negotiator in a changing world, you need to focus on your communications to begin with (like I mentioned above, communications seem to be the gateway for effective project leadership). But you also need to recognize how to frame ideas, challenges and solutions to give people win/win opportunities. You also need to be able to see different routes to success.
Probably the most important skill is to not look at negotiation as a winner-takes-all situation. Because in most instances, it’s going to be about accommodation and not capitulation.
3. Recruitment: I’ve written here over the years about how great a PM I think Alabama football coach Nick Saban is. One of his best skills is his ability to recruit talent to Tuscaloosa. Talent wins.
To be a successful PM in our new environments of change and uncertainty, you are going to need to focus on recruiting folks to your team to be successful as well.
Recruiting in this context doesn’t mean getting people to sign up as your “ride or die,” though it may require that at certain times. Instead, recruitment is likely a lot more flexible as you need people to dedicate a few hours to a challenge you are dealing with, sign off on a new piece of your project, or commit the resources necessary to help you keep your project moving forward.
As I write this out, I start thinking about how we recently discussed project management being a sales job. Then, I look at my list and realize that the key way that PMs are going to work forward now is through selling: their ideas, their partnership and their resources.
Maybe instead of a big change, the more things change the more they stay the same? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Nigeria has taken a bold step toward deepening its innovation ecosystem with the official launch of the Start-up Consultative Forum, an initiative designed to accelerate the implementation of the Nigeria Start-up Act (NSA) and strengthen the country’s tech startup ecosystem.
While addressing the forum, NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, who was represented by Barrister Emmanuel Edet, the Ag. Director, Regulation and Compliance described the platform as more than just a stakeholder meeting.
“It is a commitment to building a stronger tech ecosystem through collaboration, inclusion, and data-driven governance, marking a new phase in the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act,” he said.
He noted that the Nigeria Startup Act is more than legislation—it is a framework for national development. “Startups are not fringe players. They are central to Nigeria’s economic future,” he asserted.
Inuwa further mentioned that over the past eight months, NITDA has driven key activities under the Act. These include stakeholder workshops across 10 states, roadshows at tech events like Lagos Tech Week, the Omniverse Summit, Moonlight Conference and the Akwa Ibom Tech Week, and awareness campaigns through digital and direct engagement.
The forum, according to Inuwa, will serve as a feedback engine, spotlighting regulatory gaps, guiding policy improvements, and shaping a startup-friendly environment.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the guidance of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA continues to support startups through initiatives like the Startup Portal, tech infrastructure deployment, and digital skill training across the country.
The DG emphasised that for startups to thrive, policies must be inclusive and responsive. “Inclusion is not charity. It is a strategy,” he said, calling for equal representation across gender, region, and sector.
While inaugurating the members if the Conservative Forum on behalf of the Director-General, the Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions, Oladejo Olawunmi, ignited the forum with a call to action, envisioning it as a vital nexus for collaborative breakthroughs.
He inspired the members, saying, “We remain deeply committed to nurturing a space where innovation can flourish, and I call upon each of us to embrace the task ahead by shaping ideas into concrete policy and outcomes that leave a lasting impact.”
Earlier, Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in her opening address called the Forum, a “structured dialogue between those building the future and those enabling it.”
She outlined five key pillars for success: access to funding, capacity building, supportive policy, inclusive innovation, and global competitiveness.
She urged startups to speak boldly, private sector players to offer more than capital, development partners to scale what works, and government to harmonize efforts. “This Forum must be a problem-solving platform, not another talk shop,” she concluded.
With the Startup Consultative Forum now launched, NITDA aims to turn policy into action, ensuring startups are no longer on the sidelines, but at the center of Nigeria’s innovation journey.
The virtual event was attended by private sector players, development agencies, verified Ecosystem Support Organisations (ESOs), angel investors, venture capital firms, and labelled startups from across the country.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) issued a detailed advisory on yesterday, warning Nigerians about the growing threat of Ponzi schemes and unregulated crowdfunding scams, particularly in digital assets, agriculture, and real estate.
These sophisticated scams, often disguised under appealing brand names, promise unrealistically high returns, exploiting vulnerable citizens facing economic hardship between 2022 and 2025.
Digital asset scams, like Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) and Chinmark Group, leverage cryptocurrencies’ anonymity and limited regulation. CBEX, promising 100% returns in 30 days, collapsed with over ₦1.3 trillion in losses, using blockchain to obscure funds.
Chinmark, posing as a conglomerate, defrauded investors of over ₦10 billion via social media and religious endorsements. “We are committed to saving Nigerians from the troubles associated with Ponzi schemes,” the NFIU stated, pledging to pursue major actors.
Agricultural Ponzi schemes, such as Farmforte Ltd and Green Eagles Agribusiness, promise unsustainable farming returns, with one Lagos operator collapsing after processing ₦400 million with 16% monthly return pledges. Red flags include guaranteed high returns, unlicensed operations, and reliance on referrals.
The Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025 imposes fines of ₦20 million and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for promoting Ponzi schemes, empowering the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate digital assets. The NFIU urged licensing for Virtual Asset Service Providers, advanced fraud detection, and stronger KYC/AML compliance by financial institutions.
It advised the public to verify platforms with the SEC, question return mechanisms, and report suspicious schemes promptly.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared one foreign national, Elie Bitar wanted for his alleged involvement in a cryptocurrency fraud linked to the online trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange.
According to an official bulletin issued by the Commission, Bitar, 41, is wanted for a suspected fraudulent scheme carried out via CBEX, which has reportedly defrauded multiple unsuspecting investors across Nigeria.
“The public is hereby notified that ELIE BITAR, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX),” the EFCC stated.
The Commission disclosed that Bitar’s last known address is at Eng. George Enemoh Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, Lagos State.
The EFCC has urged anyone with useful information regarding Bitar’s whereabouts to contact any of its zonal offices in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja.
The public can also reach the commission via the phone number 08093322644 or email at info@efcc.gov.ng.
CBEX emerged in the wake of Nigeria’s growing appetite for cryptocurrency investments.
It promised users quick and high returns through crypto trading and investments but soon drew suspicion over its lack of regulatory compliance and transparency.
The EFCC’s investigation into CBEX has reportedly uncovered a trail of transactions linked to Bitar and individuals, some of whom have been arrested.
Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, signed the wanted notice, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to tracking down individuals exploiting Nigerians through financial fraud schemes.
NITDA Inaugurates Start-up Consultative Forum
NFIU Alerts Nigerians of Rising Ponzi Schemes, Unregulated Crowdfunding Scams
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