Feature Written By Yemi Olajutemu
Ado Ekiti
When Pastor Tunji Aribasoye Senior Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor, and cleric of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG mounted the podium at the 2026 Entrepreneurial Growth Summit and Mindshift Conference in Ado Ekiti, Participants at the event said he did more than delivering a speech, but set the intellectual and moral tone for a gathering already rich with ideas, ambition and expectation.
Drawing thought leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and public office holders to the Fajuyi Park axis of the ancient city, under the theme, Ownership: Dominate Your Outcomes, the convener a business and leadership consultant Isaac Ajisafe, had already given hints that the conference was designed to provoke reflection and ignite purposeful action among young people across Ekiti State and Nigeria but Aribasoye’s layered and deeply experiential address gave flesh and urgency to the theme, transforming ownership from an attractive slogan into a disciplined way of life.
Speaking from the vantage point of his diverse experiences as an entrepreneur, farmer, faith leader and Senior Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor, Aribasoye confronted a reality many young people quietly grapple with but rarely interrogate in public forums, the delicate and often misunderstood interplay between relationships, career growth and personal stability.
He insisted that success cannot be sustainably pursued in isolated compartments because a thriving professional life built on emotional instability or financial recklessness is structurally weak and ultimately unsustainable.
Weaving together these dimensions of human development, the religious leader cum public servant argued that personal growth, professional advancement and relational maturity are not competing ambitions but interconnected pillars that must be intentionally nurtured if any meaningful and lasting progress is to be achieved.
Central to his message was the insistence that productivity begins with a deliberate decision to take charge of one’s knowledge, skills and opportunities, a position that challenged the passive expectation that destiny unfolds automatically with time or spiritual enthusiasm, as he maintained that while faith remains vital, destiny is governed by consistent habits and informed decisions rather than wishful thinking alone.
He reframed destiny as something to be managed through discipline rather than merely discovered through inspiration and prayers, redirecting attention to the everyday choices that quietly shape long term outcomes, reminding participants that structured effort, not sporadic excitement, determines the trajectory of a life.
Aribasoye’s emphasis on financial independence resonated strongly within the current economic climate, as he urged young people to cultivate financial responsibility, develop multiple streams of income and approach money with wisdom rather than impulse, arguing that dependence in a rapidly changing economy is a fragile strategy and that stability must be intentionally constructed through prudent management and continuous skill development.
Yet, he did not reduce prosperity to income generation alone. He extended the conversation to value driven relationships and marriage, stressing that romance without understanding, character and mutual responsibility can destabilise even the most promising career path, and that both men and women must cultivate integrity, emotional maturity and shared purpose if they hope to build homes that support rather than sabotage their ambitions.
Beyond finances and relationships, he drew attention to mental wellness and spiritual growth as indispensable components of a balanced life, explaining that inner clarity and psychological health are not luxuries but strategic necessities in a generation confronted by pressure, comparison and accelerated expectations, and that faith must function as alignment and guidance rather than escape from responsibility. Tunji Aribasoye integrated the spiritual with the practical, presenting a model of success that is holistic rather than fragmented, disciplined rather than dramatic.
He further challenged participants to think beyond conventional limitations by embracing continuous upskilling, preparation and focus, noting that opportunity often aligns itself with those who are already prepared and that competence remains the most reliable currency in an increasingly competitive global economy, while also highlighting the importance of mentorship and intentional networking with individuals whose values and trajectories reflect one’s aspirations because association, he suggested, shapes exposure and ultimately influences direction.
By the time he concluded, the hall was less animated by applause and more absorbed in reflection, a sign that the message had travelled beyond the ears into the conscience of many present.
Participants at the event are already filtered out into the bustling Nigerian society but what lingered was not merely motivation but a sobering invitation to responsibility, an understanding that ownership is neither loud nor glamorous but deeply personal and profoundly demanding, requiring discipline in finances, clarity in relationships, stability in character and consistency in habits.
Participants who spoke with Newsmen after the conference said Pastor Aribasoye has left in their minds a compelling reminder that to dominate one’s outcomes is first to master oneself, and that the future of a generation will be determined less by circumstance and more by the quality of the decisions it chooses to make daily.