The Ikoyi Baptist Church (IBC) Business and Career Fair 2025, is set to birth transformational leaders and thriving enterprises by equipping participants with mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities.
Themed: ‘Maximize Your Ground’, the event is scheduled for August 30–31, and it is envisioned as a platform where faith meets enterprise, offering mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities designed to combat unemployment and empower Nigerians to build sustainable careers and businesses.
Reverend Olusegun Timothy Adeleke, pastor of IBC, at a press conference in Lagos, said the initiative reflects the church’s holistic vision of growth and empowerment beyond the pulpit.
“The vision behind the Business and Career Fair is to see how members can thrive not only spiritually but also in their business and career life. God is not pleased when His children flourish in one area and suffer in another. This fair offers practical tools to help participants maximize their ground, avoid the mistakes of the past, and build legacies,” he said.
The theme, drawn from Luke 12, challenges individuals to identify the resources and opportunities already entrusted to them and apply wisdom to multiply them. According to Adeleke, many people struggle because they do not recognize their ground or lack the skill to maximize it.
Adeleke stressed that the church remains committed to making the fair an annual event, open not only to members but also to the broader public. “Registration is open to everyone. Exhibitors, sponsors, entrepreneurs, and job seekers are welcome. There is an outreach dimension to this, which is helping our immediate community and even those outside Lagos. It is unjust to expect members to give resources to the church while neglecting their businesses and careers. Faith without works is dead; this fair brings balance,” he noted.
Oiza Gyang, team lead, marketing and communications, IBC Business & Career Fair 2025, described it as a space where faith connects with opportunity. “The Business and Career Fair is more than just an event, it is a platform for empowerment. We believe everyone already has a ground—be it talent, skills, or networks. This fair is about helping people recognize and multiply what they have. It is where inspiration connects with opportunities, and where participants leave equipped to shine their light in the marketplace,” she said.
The 2025 edition will feature masterclasses on career development and business growth, panel discussions on financing and digital innovation and a business pitch competition where existing enterprises can access grants to scale their ventures. There will also be a dedicated children and teenagers’ segment, helping young people discover their talents early.
“Our dream is that in years to come, we will be talking about thriving businesses and transformational leaders who trace their beginnings to this fair. That is why we are here: to maximize our ground,” Gyang affirmed.
Esosa Osagiede, program coordinator of the Fair, emphasized that this year’s design is tailored to address different stages of the career and business journey. “For career development, we have broken sessions into three tracks: those just starting out, mid-level professionals navigating growth, and senior executives considering pivots. For businesses, we are splitting sessions between startups and existing enterprises. And for the first time, we are introducing ‘The Pitch’, a funding initiative exclusively for church members with businesses ready to expand. This year is about addressing real needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Osagiede explained.
She added that participants will have access to facilitators and speakers whose expertise spans finance, marketing, digital innovation, leadership, and personal branding.
The fair also aligns with IBC’s broader mission of raising leaders who positively impact their communities.
Adesua Wagbatsoma, committee member highlighted new initiatives for teenagers, dubbed ‘Teenpreneurs’ where young people will have stalls to showcase their ideas and business skills. “We are intentionally targeting teens because it is at this stage that they make critical decisions about their life paths. We want to empower them early, help them sharpen their business acumen, and give them visibility,” she said.
On long-term impact, Wagbatsoma added that IBC plans to track success stories through surveys, mentorship, and quarterly workshops, ensuring participants do not lose momentum after the event. “The goal is empowerment that translates to real-life results like new jobs, thriving businesses, partnerships, and testimonies of growth. This is not just about a two-day fair; it is about birthing leaders and enterprises that will endure,” she affirmed.
