By Goke Ilesanmi
Otunba Odeyeyiwa Kazeem Olayemi, GMD/CEO, Repton Group, Keynote Speaker (2nd left), receiving a plaque at the recent 2026 Lagos Career Fair. With him from left are Dr Oladapo Akinloye, Convener, Lagos Career Fair and two others.
Otunba Odeyeyiwa Kazeem Olayemi, GMD/CEO of Repton Group has stressed the need to acquire technology skills, especially Artificial 1ntelligence (AI) skills, for career advancement in the digital age. Odeyeyiwa said building a successful career in today’s technology-driven global economy requires a strategic blend of continuous technical upskilling, adaptability and emotional intelligence.
The CEO of Repton Group, a conglomerate with subsidiaries such as Kazab Heritage Limited (for distribution); Defrost Ventures Limited (for haulage and logistics); Kazab Oil and Gas; Heritage Engineering Services Limited, and Kazab Homes and Properties, made the disclosure at the recent Lagos Career Fair 2026 where he was the Keynote Speaker.
Odeyeyiwa who spoke on the theme, “Building a Winning Career in Today’s Technology- and AI-Driven Global Economy” said as AI, automation and digital platforms transform industries, workers must change or pivot from routine tasks towards roles that require human-AI collaboration.
According to the Repton CEO, “This step becomes imperative because research confirms that by 2030, nearly 90% 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.
The Repton CEO 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.
In his own submission, Odeyeyiwa said: “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.”
He said 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.
The Repton CEO 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, self-motivation, etc., even in the digital age.
He said 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.
In the Repton CEO’s words: “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 them (soft skills).”
