IVLPAAN president urges Nigerian creatives, entrepreneurs to charge appropriately for their work

Adedayo Oketola, president of the International Visitor Leadership Programme Alumni Association of Nigeria (IVLPAAN), has urged Nigerian professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs to charge appropriately for their work.

Oketola spoke at the Empower-to-Prosper masterclass on negotiation, held recently in Lagos.

The event, themed “Negotiate with Power: How to Charge Appropriately for Your Value,” focused on practical strategies for pricing, structuring deals, and closing high-value engagements.

According to a statement on Monday, the event forms part of IVLPAAN’s empower-to-prosper series, an initiative to equip Nigerians with actionable knowledge that drives economic and professional success.

Speaking to a packed audience of over 100 participants, Oketola said too many talented Nigerians remain underpaid and under-recognised, not due to lack of ability but because they lack the skills and confidence to negotiate effectively.

“Value should never be undervalued,” the president said.

“In a country and a continent brimming with talent, it is often the case that many are doing exceptional work, but struggling to charge what they are worth or unsure how to negotiate their true value. That must change. And that is why we are here. This masterclass is not just another training; it is a movement.

“We are here to change the mindset from hesitation to confidence, from guessing your worth to knowing it.”

The first session of the event, titled “Mastering Your Value & Crafting Winning Negotiation Strategies,” was led by Odunola Onadipe, chief operating officer at Detail Commercial Solicitors.

Onadipe guided participants through identifying their market value and crafting compelling value propositions.

She also explored the emotional and psychological dynamics of negotiation, stressing the importance of understanding motives, fears, and communication styles.

‘EMBRACE HUMILITY IN PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS’

In the second session, titled “From Pitch to Payment: Closing High-Value Deals Without Underselling Yourself,” Peter Ogudoro, managing consultant at Ogudoro Leadership Trainers and founder of the Nigerian Teachers Community, encouraged professionals to position themselves to attract — rather than chase — clients.

“Ogudoro, an accomplished educationist and career strategist, encouraged participants to embrace humility in professional settings, even when it means attributing success to superiors to secure long-term growth,” the statement said.

“He emphasised consistency, value-driven negotiation, and active listening as hallmarks of elite professionals, and shared counterintuitive strategies, such as the power of asking clarifying questions when disagreeing, which fosters constructive engagement and preserves professional relationships.”

The event attracted high-level participants, including Akeem Aponmade, president of the U.S. Government Exchange Alumni Association Nigeria (USGEAAN), Lagos Chapter; Adetoun Tade, former IVLPAAN president; Maymunah Kadiri, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pinnacle Medical Services; Saudat Salami; Bunmi Yekini, publisher of HeapNews; and senior executives from Merit Abode Nigeria Limited, a Lagos-based real estate firm.