Experts have called on the federal government to prioritise skills development as a key strategy to boost national revenue.
Femi Joshua, executive officer of the African School of Sales and Management (ASSAM), has urged government to invest in platforms that equip Nigerians with practical sales and income-generation skills. He made the call on the sidelines of the 2026 Sales Power Conference, held yesterday under the theme “Sell Smart, Win Big”.
Joshua highlighted that Nigeria’s economic challenges could be addressed by empowering individuals and businesses to increase earnings, rather than relying solely on salaries. He advised the Federal Government to create platforms where citizens could learn practical revenue-generation strategies and stressed that public institutions should also focus on boosting internally generated revenue to drive economic stability.
According to Joshua, who is also the conference convener, structured sales and revenue training can help professionals and companies improve performance, create jobs, and increase disposable income — producing a ripple effect on national economic growth.
Joshua cited past training programmes, noting that participants had enhanced their sales capacity, earned higher commissions, improved living standards, and provided better support for dependants. He also observed that companies which grow revenue are able to expand operations and employ more people.
“Salary-based income alone is no longer sufficient to meet basic needs,” he said, emphasising that skills acquisition and revenue-driven training offer more sustainable economic benefits.
One of the conference speakers, Elisha Manman, underlined the importance of sales for business survival. “Any company that doesn’t sell will not survive. Our goal is to equip sales representatives with the right skills and knowledge to boost their income,” he said.
Manman also stressed the importance of goal-setting, urging sales executives to establish objectives that are effective, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
He encouraged participants to be intentional in their approach, avoid wasting time, focus on priorities, and take deliberate steps to achieve their targets.
