The year 2025 is wrapping up. In less than 40 days, the last digit numbering the year would have changed. You can’t wait till then to start planning how the year will go. Delaying the plan for the new year means starting on the back foot.
Boardrooms are active. Strategy teams are already sketching likely patterns and paths for the coming year – taking into consideration global events, technological transformation, local policies and consumer trends. It is time to start projecting and planning for market relevance in 2026.
But firstly, what were the events that shaped the outgoing year? The presidential election in the United States late last year shaped the market. The Trump-branded model of economics, which wielded trade as a tool for negotiating with competing markets, escalated tension globally.
Consequently, there is a growing determination around markets, whether in Europe, Asia or Africa, to strengthen local capacity and resilience. Most government policies that largely impacted the market in the year tilted towards shoring up the local economy.
Nigeria had its work cut out at the beginning of the year. Grappling with skyrocketing inflation, insecurity and FX scarcity, and a potential Trump-imposed 15% tariff, the government didn’t do a bad job. Its response to the inflation and FX challenges seems effective so far. For insecurity, more efforts are still required.
Technology had a big influence on the market this year. Investors prioritised investment in AI, health and biotechnology, renewable energy, and fintech over any other sectors. As of October 2025, global venture capitalists had poured around $192.7 billion into AI startups. Still, investment in AI solutions is expected to reach $307 billion before the year rounds off.
Other big market influences include increasing demand for AI and 5G infrastructure, which drove up investment in the semiconductor industry. Discourses around sustainability and the circular economy also affected market appetite to an extent. The IEA’s World Energy Investment report indicated that out of the $3.3 trillion capital that is expected to flow to the energy sector, the sum of $2.2 trillion flowed towards renewable, while $1.1 trillion flowed to areas like oil, natural gas and coal.
As well, the digital assets space witnessed a surge and a crash. Regulatory oversight will continue to decide the future of cryptocurrency. Despite significant market challenges, investment in fintech still reached $24 billion in the first half of the year, a 6% increase over the latter half of 2024.
Further, research by Euromonitor highlighted consumer trends in the years “as a focus on health and wellness, demand for sustainable and ethical products, and the increasing use of AI for personalisation.”
The events that shaped the market in 2025 are not going to simply fade away completely before the new year. They are going to have some level of influence on the market. This is why we must pay attention and prepare for the new year. However, here are three strategy trends to pay attention to when planning for the new year:
- AI Adoption – A Hyper Island market report revealed that AI will shape business operations in 2026. The report forecast the use of the technology to carry out risk assessment, scenario planning and the like. Primary tasks would also be left for AI, freeing up time for businesses to focus on more strategic tasks. This is a competitive case. It is important to factor in AI into your operations in the coming year.
- Co-creation with customers – Customers are no longer willing to stand by and watch businesses decide every aspect of their lives. They want to participate in how businesses decide and produce what they buy. LEGO already invites customers to submit ideas for its new products. This trend is going to continue. You may want to think about it.
- Agile approach to market – The market trends shift fast these days. An agile response to market changes will require setting up smaller, cross-functional teams at intervals around a marketing mission to carve out quick responses to market changes. Spotify adopts a squad and tribe model that helps it adapt and scale globally. The result has been impactful. This is an idea you can chalk down as part of the execution tactics in 2026.
