Rev Chris Ubamadu, is the Convener of The Roundtable Lekki and also, until recently, the Zonal Coordinator, Church of God Mission, Victoria Island Zone. The Roundtable Lekki is a business development, economic empowerment and networking platform created to help reduce unemployment and contribute to end poverty in our society. In this interview, he speaks on the mission behind the Roundtable Lekki.
Roundtable Lekki has made a lot of impact, in addition to your ministry, how did you conceive the vision?
The idea was conceived in response to the rising unemployment and poverty in our society and country at large. We saw how more and more Nigerians were sliding into hunger and poverty from year to year. The problem did not end in hunger, it can be seen also to be directly related to insecurity and violence in the land. Research after research showed clearly the diabolical relationship between hunger and violence in our country. And the fact that job opportunities were declining, making the situation far worse, the need arose to try to open up options for those seeking opportunities to higher incomes and economic empowerment. The Roundtable Lekki came into being in response to these needs.
What actually did you want to achieve with the Roundtable Lekki?
As a socially responsible church, we felt that we had a role to play in ameliorating the sufferings of the masses and adding direct value to society. We believe strongly that the church exists to solve society’s problems and improve on the quality of life of its peoples. We believe that the Christian faith should be transformative on all fronts. And in keeping to these we chose to provide economic empowerment as our own contribution to the needs of our communities. With The Roundtable Lekki, we hoped to gradually reduce the level of unemployment in the land, increase income to homes and individuals and eventually reduce poverty among our people. The strategy was to pick a sector of the economy, dive deep into it through free conferences and explore the business opportunities that exist in that sector. The motive was to showcase what individuals and companies can achieve by taking advantage of the opportunities that exist. And to do this, we invite a spectrum of industry players and leaders who share our burdens and are able to share their experiences with the view of encouraging others to venture. Since 2021, we have spotlighted the Real Estate industry (three times), the Entertainment industry and Social Media. This year, our focus is on the Tech Space. So for each edition, we hope that participants will gain valuable information that will impact positively on their careers and businesses.
What impact has it made among young Nigerians who were seeking business or empowerment opportunities?
Over the years, we have been blessed to see individuals start new businesses as a result of their participation in our conference. We have also seen companies who expanded and employed more people after the conference. Our most important achievement so far is the shift in mindset that we see after each conference. Participants who get enlightened are usually excited to share their experiences. And we get a lot of that each year. Those mind shifts eventually lead to better financial and career decision making that impact on their finances.
How do you combine it with your ministry, and achievements so far?
Combining The Roundtable Lekki with other ministry engagements has been very smooth. This is because we see the conference as a major avenue to engage the wider society. Each year as we gather participants and speakers, we are excited at the prospects of doing exactly what we were called to do as a church. We consider the conference as part of our divine assignment to our community.
With Roubtable Lekki, what is your message to Nigeria?
My message to Nigerians, especially the younger generation who are more affected with the situation of our economy, is that they should never think that there is nothing that they can do. There are lots of opportunities out there that can turn their personal situations around. All that is needed is the will to succeed and the information to engage. Every problem that is obvious in our economy is also an opportunity for business. This is why fortune favors the bold. They should therefore be a part of the 6th edition of The Roundtable Lekki 2026. Our theme is “Winning With Innovation; The Tech Advantage”. This will come up on May 1, 2026 at the main auditorium of Church of God Mission Int’l, Oniru, Lagos. Admission is free
