‘Digital skills key to career advancement in today’s global economy’
AI- artificial intelligence
Group Managing Director, Repton Group, Otunba Kazeem Odeyeyiwa has underlined the need to acquire technology skills, especially Artificial intelligence (AI) skills, for career advancement in the digital age.
According to him, building a successful career in today’s technology-driven global economy requires a strategic blend of continuous technical upskilling, adaptability and emotional intelligence.
Odeyeyiwa was the keynote speaker at the Lagos Career Fair 2026. The theme of the event was “Building a Winning Career in Today’s Technology- and AI-Driven Global Economy”.
Odeyeyiwa’s Repton Group is a conglomerate with subsidiaries across oil and gas, logistics, real estate and engineering. The subsidiaries included Kazab Heritage Limited, Defrost Ventures Limited, Kazab Oil and Gas, Heritage Engineering Services Limited and Kazab Homes and Properties.
He said as AI, automation and digital platforms have transformed industries, thus workers must change or pivot from routine tasks towards roles that require human-AI collaboration.
He said: “This step becomes imperative because research confirms that by 2030, nearly 90 per cent of jobs will require digital skills. The emerging trends clearly show that new technologies, including AI, will definitely have both positive and negative impacts on career in the digital age of global economy.
“A recent research report by the Nexford University says anyone who does know that artificial intelligence will affect jobs and careers between 2026 and 2030 must definitely be living under a rock. One major recurrent question is whether or not AI will enhance careers and global economy or disrupt them. This is a controversial subject that has proponents and opponents on both sides of the divide”.
Odeyeyiwa explained that many market research analysts say AI has the potential to bring about numerous positive changes in society, including enhanced productivity, improved healthcare and increased access to education but calls for immediate adaptability.
He added that others, especially those working in human work types of jobs that are manually repetitive, assert that AI and robotics technologies are a disruptive force when it comes to the future of jobs or careers because they are merely set to steal jobs and disrupt careers.
“Building a winning career in today’s technology- and AI-driven global economy requires a deliberate and strategic transition from viewing AI and other technologies as competitors to treating them as collaborative partners. In 2026, AI is transforming roles across all sectors rather than just eliminating them, with a shift from ‘human vs machine’ to ‘human x machine’ orchestration.
“In other words, it will be wiser to embrace AI and other technologies as powerful tools that can both enhance and elevate your talents rather than completely replace them, and to stop being afraid of them. The people whose professions are genuinely future-proofed are those who understand how to collaborate with AI. Thriving in this environment demands a combination of technical fluency, uniquely-human skills and continuous rapid learning,” Odeyeyiwa said.
He pointed out that in order to be able to strategically build a future-proof winning career in today’s technology-driven global economy, people need to be proactive to technological change, build a “T-shaped” career profile, embrace continuous learning, engage in self-positioning and master essential high-impact skills.
He stressed the importance of soft skills such as interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, analytical skills, effective communication, negotiation skills, self-development, creativity and innovation, self-awareness and self-motivation even in the digital age.
According to him, soft skills become imperative in the digital age because general intelligence, emotional intelligence, creativity and higher-order reasoning are still areas in which AI falls short as it is not endowed with human intuition, interpersonal abilities or broad mental flexibility.
He said: “This reality simply implies that even after having mastered AI and other technological skills, soft skills are still largely required in building a winning career in the digital age. Soft skills are capable of setting you apart from your tech-savvy peers who have only mastered technical or other technological skills, but lack soft skills”.