Unemployment and Youth

Unemployment and Youth

Nigerians fond of blaming her leader on their failure to attain some necessities or when predicaments befall them. Some can also blame government for malaria after his negligence on environmental sanitation. But this phenomenon is not only with Nigerians alone, it is common all over the world. Even in America, where average African will assume she has all the facilities without lacking in any, they are complaining bitterly about some necessities their leader fails to provide.

To criticize government brings seriousness and helps the government to have focus even when the sycophants are praising him blindly. I see opposition as a challenge for effective leadership without them, the leader may not be focused. So, the leader should see oppositions as a compass to direct him to better direction. The most celebrated African leader, President Nelson Mandela was criticized by his oppositions when he was ruling about the Economic inefficient and other sectors they taught of improvement.

Let not forget that Apartheid Government who jailed Nelson Mandela for 27 years also educated him and Peace Laurent, Desmond Tutu and many other prominent black of South Africans. When apartheid was in vogue, comparative religious debates were still going on between Christians and Muslims of South Africa while the Christians were ruling. Back home, when military junta was ruling, many Nigerians were still making millions, even many were exposed to millions because of their activism. It is interesting to know that Segregation and Racism educated and persecuted Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King Jnr. Their voices were still heard when the white were of inhuman behaviours. With racism in vogue, Martin Luther King Jnr went to London to participate in oratory competition and today, his speech, “I had a dream” will continue to echo in the mind of the Black Americans. So, nobody has excuse of hiding under the existence of corruption and epileptic infrastructures for his failure to be creative and become a successful entrepreneur. Wake up to reality and be productive for your own sake.

When I read, “There is absence of serious, concrete, realistic, short and long term solution to youth unemployment in Nigeria.” Chief Olusegun Obasanjo continues, “I am afraid and you know I am a General. When a General says he is afraid, that means the danger ahead is real and potent.” That was the comment from elder state man who ruled Nigeria for approximately 11 years. I told someone that, “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo knows better.” He knows where the problem emanated from and how appropriate solutions can be applied. He can now become an adviser to Mr. President and find short term and long time solution to unemployment in our great nation of good people.

Putting all blames on government is unrealistic, the youth need to be reorientated, encouraged and empowered. They also need to be motivated and enlightened on how to be creative and become self reliant without waiting for white collar job that is day dream.  I have come to realize that Nigeria Youths are the manufacturer of their problem. We fail to see the treasure where it is hibernated, we refuse tap it and refuse to create one. I believe I am one of the youths whom truly I am.

I always wonder how British Petroleum (BP) knew there was oil in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State and came in 1956 to exploit our natural resources. Were there no Nigerian engineers and scientists who could discover the black treasure in our land? Where were the Nigerians then to discover oil in other parts of the country where oil later discovered? It means we were sitting on the treasure for decades without realizing it. Something was wrong somewhere! You may wonder how Dangote Group knew there was limestone in Obajana, Kogi State before he sited Cement Company at Obajana. That is exactly what I am talking about opening eyes and see treasure where it is hibernated.

During a seminar, I told participants who were dominated by youth that, “every course of study has areas of specializations, and the least is teaching.” But, how many graduates are ready to teach today? At least to start from scratch before you reach your destination. So, a graduate is supposed to identify areas of specializations in his department and choose one profession out of many.  A graduate must be able to teach three secondary school subjects conveniently but the story is not the same for some graduates. Honestly, I saw a corps member who refused to teach because he had no proficiency at any subject. Not even English Language he claims to speak fluently. In fact, I have seen in a situation where a graduate could not express himself fluently in lingual Franca - English language. Who is to blame for that misrepresentation of the institution which produced him?

Some blame our educational system of not prepare graduates for the task after the four walls of higher institution. I said that accusation doesn’t fit our educational system. Anyone that is conversant with our educational system will see enough opportunities for graduates to become entrepreneurs. From 100 level, they engage in practical, assignment, test, mini project, survey, Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and Industrial Attachment (IT). All those exercises listed are for what? Simply to prepare them to be self employed after graduation. The problem is the perception of the students who see all the exercises as means of getting higher grade but not to lay their hands on them and be their own bosses.

I just want to give one example and others should meditate on the opportunities in their fields. A Microbiology student, who did many practical in laboratory, went for SIWES, then IT and later served in Medical Laboratory for one year. Please tell me, “does the system provide job for him?” unfortunately, this guy could not see that the system had empowered him to be an entrepreneur in his field. He left school and waiting for white collar job for years. He doesn’t realize that people need to test their blood, urine and excretion. He doesn’t see that prospective couples need to verify their genotype. Every day, people are carrying out different medical tests but my microbiologist is still at home waiting for call from ministries, hospitals, even banks where he is irrelevant, he is still waiting for their calls for interview.   

The success of a graduate does not lie on the school he/she attended. It is your perception and exposure to relevant information that make one successful. If you can identify the opportunity in your department you are tantamount to be successful after graduation, but if you are unable, your success is doubtful. Today, all over the world, the course one reads does not also determine what you are going to do for living after graduation. What can you say about an engineer who is now a sales representative in a company? Do you have to condemn an accountant who becomes an actor? Yet you cannot blame an educationist who is now a fashion designer. If you discover yourself, try to improve on it and turn it to money machine and become your own boss.

Have you ever realized that only graduate is looking for job? Have you seen a tailor, mechanic, bricklayer, carpenter and many artisans looking for job after graduation?  Only graduate will be looking for job after rigors of study in tertiary institution. If the youth can be productive after graduation, more employments will be created for other youths to live on. Many people are proficiency in many professions but fail to turn it into a productive career. I have seen many people doing cooking, decoration, MC, mending, acting, installing, baking, repairing and many others for free all in the name of family, friend and brothers in creed. If you can do any of these for free yet you can do it to make a living. Why not create job out of your talent?

Humble beginning is what today’s youth lack. Some want to become millionaire in a day while some want to become CEO in a month. If you ask all successful persons about their stories, you will hear how rough the road to success was. But no youth want to sacrifice anything before success comes their way. It was said that Thomas Edison who invented light bulb tried 10000 times before he was succeeded in his invention that will continue to light the whole world forever. How many of us can continue trying something after third trial? There is nothing like failure in dictionary of dreamers but people who stop trying. If you continue to do something repeatedly, you will meet the opportunity to be successful, but the second you stop you will lose such opportunity. Let the youth learn the methodology of humble beginning from the stories of great men.

Government and top paid jobs are for the children of powerful politicians and who knows who in the society. Whenever Central Bank, NNPC, BPE, NCC and many top institutions recruit, who are on their lists are the children of politicians and directors that can manipulate their way. Hardly you see genius among them talk less of ordinary graduates. Until when government recruits on merit, before we can have evenly dividend of democracy. This is one of the reasons people are complaining bitterly on government for not finding solution to the nation unemployment that is looming. Government needs to fix this flaw and introduces recruitment on merit at all agencies and institutions.  

It is confirmed as an entrepreneur that company registration takes few months in this country before one can be registered. In Singapore, it takes few hours. You can see the difference. If we are talking of development, Singapore is developing every day, this is the country without any natural resource but liberated herself from third world to first according to one of her founding father, Leen  Kuan Yew. Development of America, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate and many others are achieved and proud to be developed because of avenues created to encourage entrepreneurship and small businesses. Government has to declare emergency in this sector, so that, people will be able to operate businesses legally.

What I want us to deduce from this piece is that government has lapses to amend while the youth has to change for better and get the methodology of creativity right. It is better for them to learn from their counterpart from advanced countries to see how educated and creative they are. Government doesn’t encourage young entrepreneurs but always engage in lip services and broadcast program that meant for few people and little success. Whenever 20 people out of thousands are empowered, government capitalizes on its achievement and forgets about the rest and leaves them to continue living in abject poverty.

In a nutshell, it is government responsibility to create jobs for the citizens without prejudice or regionalizing the process. A good leader sees the entire followers as one when he is discharging his responsibilities. We, the youth, if the jobs don’t circulate or when we are beneficiaries, we should do the jobs diligently and have at the back of our minds that either retirement or retrenchment may come. How can we survive if such comes suddenly? Let us be creative and burn ourselves with the spirit of entrepreneurship.
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Entrepreneurship a Huge Lift

Entrepreneurship: A Huge Lift

 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP is as old as human. Everyone knows what entrepreneurship means and giving its definition in this piece is tantamount to repetition. The pepper seller, groundnut seller, subsistence farmer as well as mechanised farmer, computer seller, handset seller, food seller and the owner of a small or big supermarket– name it, the list is endless. Anyone who is not on pay roll of an employer and relies on whatever he realizes and generates as his take home is an entrepreneur.

 

Everyone is endowed with the trait of becoming an entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur has nothing to do with age, formal education, gender or geography. It has nothing to do with experience or your formal years of education or your level of intellect. There are individuals who are functionally illiterate who have become multimillionaires, while there are others who are absolutely brilliant but are poor and wage slaves till the end of their lives.

 

As the topic of this article connotes, entrepreneurship is the only phenomenon that can lift whoever embraces it beyond the limit. All the successful people we talk about today are products of entrepreneurship. I do think it is only entrepreneurship that can give one a free hand without criticism, and if at all, very minimal. Imagine a minister, not even the President, can procure property without criticism even though he has his money to do so. If an entrepreneur buys a private jet, the only thing the public can say is, “He should have used the money to help the poor.” The story is not the same for the wage slave or political appointees.

 

Zig Ziglar said: “If you can offer people what they want, you will get all what you want.” The moment you can provide the world what is useful for them, they will pay you in return and swim in the millions. The television in your house, the mobile phone in your hand, the shoes on your feet, the clothes you wear, the food you are eating, everything you use in your life, do you realize all these are not free? You paid for them; as you paid for them, you have already made the providers increase their wealth and decrease yours because you are a consumer. What can you sell to people and collect your money from them and become a millionaire? Think!

 

When Thomas Edison invented light bulb, people recognized the need and paid him for it. Edison became rich from the turnover of his invention. Alexander Graham Bell invented the analog telephone and he said: “I want to put it in every home.” He was successful and consumers paid for it all over the world. Somebody said that the dream of Bell is archaic, “I will put phone in the hand of everybody.” That was the genesis of mobile phone and we are now using more than one. The inventors are entrepreneurs; we are consumers, low income earners made them to be richer. The world is waiting for your invention, very useful, we will pay for it and you get your millions.

 

For years my fellow countrymen were living in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, not knowing that billions of dollars were under their feet. Not until SPDC came from UK, discovered oil on 15 January, 1956, that they realized the treasure. An entrepreneur discovers new thing onshore and offshore. In the bush, in the river, the treasures are there waiting for extraction. Was it not inside the bush cocoa in Western Region was discovered and made people millionaires, groundnut from Northern Region, rubber from Mid-Western Region and palm produce from Eastern Region? What happened to those that engaged in the plantation’s business in those days? Yes, you got it, they became millionaires. If you can discover any treasure, you are an entrepreneur, treading the path to be a millionaire.

 

Do you understand the language of entrepreneurs? I want to reveal the top secret of people who get your money. They say, “I want people give me money everyday. I want to give them essential products that they can’t do without.” Dangote is saying if you want to eat, come and give me the money, I will provide food for you, if you want to build house I will give you cement, your motor needs fuel I will provide fuel on one condition, you will add to my wealth.

 

Network providers: MTN, GLO, Etisalat and Airtel, their language is to connect you with your loved ones and business associates. They are saying we will make communication easier for you, even in your bathrooms; we will charge you per second but we need more than 10 million subscribers to connect in a minute. That is how you increase our wealth and we pay you nothing in return. Unilever is telling you, if you want to brush your teeth, we give you paste, we give you detergent to wash your clothes, we provide toilet soap for you but not free of charge, pay us token and make us billionaires. Think of how other companies speak their languages. Which language you can speak to make yourself rich and become billionaires?

 

An average African doesn’t speak the way the entrepreneurs speak. We fail to recognise the valuable service to render and get greater reward (money). We do things free. Have you not seen the best cook in your area, who cooks in every occasion because of her culinary expertise? She does it for free, fail to think of becoming an entrepreneur, unable to realize the gift and turn it into a profession, get his money from the service and eat at the table of billionaires. What is your talent? Think of how you can turn it into money. I have seen men selling food and making their money from the proceeds. Sell something that people need and get your money from your offer.

 

Another opportunity for aspiring or existing entrepreneur is packaging and industrialisation of local products. Here we go; Soya milk has been selling in this country for years in nylon and disposed bottle water. When we failed to industrialise it, another company from overseas is now packaging it in bottle and we buy it and pay handsomely to quench our thirst and make the company rich. Who is going to package Sobo, Kunu, Adoyo and Pito for us? We are ready to drink these and make you rich.

 

Is there any Nigerian entrepreneur out there to break the ice? If we fail to do it now, we will import it tomorrow and make other countries richer. Whenever a product is packaged, people pay more. The shirt we are producing in Nigeria, packaged in ordinary nylon or hung in the shop can be sold cheaper than the same product packaged in carton but of inferior quality. All that is required is it is given a brand name and tag, and then sell at an exorbitant price. Package your product, sell it higher price and make your money. That is how entrepreneurship can give you a huge lift.

 

You can just flick a switch that says, “become an entrepreneur” and expect an easy life, success, riches and recognition to come your way. It takes hard work and you will work long hours. One of the founders of Sony, Akio Morita said: “An entrepreneur is a man who falls seven times and gets up eight times.” You must be ready to take risks and encounter failure on your way to the Promised Land. But there is nothing like failure except people stop trying.

 

As long as you keep trying every day, you will meet the opportunity to be successful, the second you stop in your efforts, you miss that awaited opportunity. An entrepreneur is always ready to take risks, to dare the path others are afraid to walk, engaging in legitimate business. Ask all successful entrepreneurs, they will have stories to tell you about their failures. Anyone who is afraid to fail at subsequent attempts will never achieve any tangible thing in his life.

 

Let go 3Ds, I am not talking of programme used to carry out architectural design. It means the difficult, dirty and dangerous jobs. Many people find these jobs disgusting but those who embrace them are getting millions of naira. The jobs like cleaning, sewage disposal, waste disposal and many more. I have been to many states as a professional speaker, some are so dirty but I see all the dirty states as an opportunity for those who can engage in 3D business.

 

There is a way to instigate and make all residents clean their environments through you. An entrepreneur sees beyond the waste, they recycle it and turn it into money. Have you not seen people collecting used cans, bottles and iron? Some buy it while some pick it free from our dust bins. Can you see how some people turn trash to treasure? Another opportunity to give you a huge lift.

 

No matter your position today, president, senator, director, chairman, permanent secretary, employee in a big company and many more. If your appointment is terminated today, will you be able to maintain your standard of living for one year? If no, why can’t you embrace entrepreneurship? The only solution to the development of this country is entrepreneurship. In fact, what makes China a developed country is entrepreneurship. So, what will make our nation develop is to offer the world valuable products that will bring greater reward in terms of money and increase our GDP exponentially. Many of the politicians and office holders become irrelevant in the society immediately they leave office but the story will never be the same for one who had embraced entrepreneurship before he left office.

 

There must be planning on whatever one wants to venture into because proper planning prevents poor performance. A majority of entrepreneurs fail today because of shallow planning and lack of mentoring. You need to have a business plan which you follow as guide on every step you take on a daily basis because you need to grow your business. If one fails to grow, the business is dead. In writing your business plan, you have to use KISS (Keep It Short and Simple).

 

You can make it simple book keeping. Just write sales, cost and profit. Do you know why? Because you may need to solicit for fund from government, well wishers or bank. If business plan is not shown, they will take you for granted – unserious. As an entrepreneur, at the start of the day and week ask yourself, “What is the most valuable work I should be doing?” Set your scale of preference on daily basis in order to achieve your goal.

 

20 years ago, there was nothing like Mr. Biggs, Tantalizers, Kilimanjaro, Mama Cass, Green Plate and many other fast food outlets. Nigerians who went to America saw how MacDonald is thriving, borrowed the idea and introduced it to the country and we started patronizing them and making them millionaires. That is borrowing method. Is there any product you see abroad that will be beneficial to people at home? Is there any product at home you think people abroad will like to have? Just engage in import or export and make your money. An entrepreneur sees opportunity everywhere. You can’t just be travelling, open your eyes to tap the ideas and concept to secure your future and that of your children.

 

Leveraging yourself to earn money is where you multiply your time through the efforts of others by setting up Multiple Sources of Income (MSI). This is, without question, the very best way to increase your income. Make a decision to have many sources of income; it’s the strategy that wealthy people have used dating clear back to the ancient Babylonians. Unfortunately, this strategy is only used by approximately one per cent of our population, yet that one per cent earns approximately 96 per cent of all the money that is earned! You are only a decision away from membership.

 

To control your life, your time, your income and future, embrace entrepreneurship. Only entrepreneurship can give you freedom in life and offer you huge lift in all ramifications. Go and do something to claim it, it is not a matter of mouth. Action travels farther than idleness.
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News Letter 1

BUSINESS IDEAS FORUM

The common saying that says “ideas rule the world” is not a wrong saying. The world today is being ruled by the people with unique and saleable ideas. If one has a tangible idea such a person has had what he wants in his life. The reason is that, you offer the world your idea and they pay you back by rewarding you in monetary value.

No one likes poverty but not everyone has what it takes to break the prison of penury. It takes courage, determination and focus for one to liberate himself from poverty. If you lack any of the qualities, just forget about success. Courage makes you dare where people think you can’t annex, determination keeps you going no matter what it takes and focus guarantees you of success which you have seen from the beginning of your journey.  All these qualities are prerequisite to one another; if one is missing the others will be un-functional.

Before success comes your way, you must have a dream. Dream is to have one particular thing you want to achieve in your life. Your dream must be extraordinary that is you must dream big not just dream like a kid. Whoever has no dream is a dead person. Such a person has no direction, he doesn’t know where he is talk-less of where he is going to. In your dream, you must not be a local champion; your dream should be able to cut across the cities and nations.

Do you know that you have to pay the price of success? The price of success is risk taking. You must be able to endure the risk along your way to the top. You should be able to sacrifice some things on your way. The risk may scare you to quit and abandon your dream for the lesser one or becoming a wage slave for someone who is privileged but not better than you in knowledge. Quitting along is like reaching the half of your destination and go back to where you are coming from that is square one. If you can’t face the difficulty, it means you won’t be able to manage success. Ask all the successful people around you, they will have tearful story to tell you. There is nothing like failure but people stop trying. Failure is to teach you that you are not perfect yet you have to retry again.

Time is the only commodity that comes to the rich and the poor in the same quantity. The only difference is the way each utilizes it. Mismanagement of time is the bane of focus for many youth and adults. Time is irreplaceable commodity, once you misuse it, it will never come back again.

At “Business Ideas Forum,” we have hundreds of business opportunities and employment opportunities to offer you. We can also give you technical advice if requested. Like our page on facebook and become one of our fan, follow the posts both present and the previous. You can reach us via email: businessideasforum@gmail.com or SMS to +2348104089638. Thank you.  

 

Entrepreneurship

Business and Empowerment Workshop

 

There are many entrepreneurs today and many want to join the club but to my surprise, not all get how to earn money clearly. The problem lies in inefficient understanding the meaning of money while some depend on Economists definition absolutely without any scrutiny or antagonism. Don’t quote me wrong, Economics’ definition is partially right and give us wide meaning of the money.

 

If you deep your hand in your pocket, the money there does not belong to you but to the billionaires because they are the one who offer you all the necessities of life and collect your paper money in return. You can see how they become richer and the masses become poorer. It is just because you don’t offer anything to the people who they will reward you in return and become rich if you offer valuable commodities.

 

Money is a reward you receive for the service you render. The more valuable the service, the greater the reward. Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will not only help us earn more money, it will also enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually. The higher the quantity of valuable service rendered, the greater the reward. Think of how many subscribers each network provider has and how much each spends in a minute, you will see the money is small but millions of people in that minute amount to billions of naira making in a day.

 

There are three categories of income earning strategies:

 

1. Trading Time to Earn Money: By far the worst of the three income earning strategies, it is employed by approximately 96% of our population – doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, laborers, etc. There is an inherent problem with this strategy – saturation. You run out of time. If a person accumulates any degree of wealth employing this strategy, it will be at the expense of a life. They compromise on the car they drive, the house they live in, the clothes they choose and the vacations they take. They rarely, if ever, get what they want.

 

2. Investing Money to Earn Money – This strategy is used by approximately 3% of the population. The number is small for the obvious reason – very few people have any money to invest. Many people who effectively employ this strategy follow the advice of a trusted, knowledgeable advisor. This category attracts entrepreneurs with low dream and operates the way the people of 70s operated.

 

3. Leveraging Yourself to Earn Money – This is where you multiply your time through the efforts of others by setting up Multiple Sources of Income (MSI). This is, without question, the very best way to increase your income. Make a decision to have many sources of income; it’s the strategy that wealthy people have used dating clear back to the ancient Babylonians. Unfortunately, this strategy is only used by approximately 1% of our population, yet that 1% earns approximately 96% of all the money that is earned! You are only a decision away from membership.

 

Many entrepreneurs are slaves to their businesses because few understand the clue of being in the third category. It is very easy to be in the club but we are always claiming to know everything and we don’t need other people’s advice. Many entrepreneurs carry out their businesses with old methodology. If I may ask, “When last you attended seminars, conferences or workshops? When last you hire the service of a consultant to improve your business? When last you bought business and motivational books and read them?” You can see the problem lies in your thinking and little understanding of the way to run your business.

 

Many businesses had died while many are on the verge of death. Many people want to be in the second category then graduate to the third but no idea and the way of turning the dream to reality. Many a time, it is necessary to serve in the first category before changing to second then third if the concept is understood wholeheartedly. If your business dies you have no one to blame but yourself, if your business grows, people will praise you that is why no one should be blamed for your failure.

 

Many graduates are roaming the streets carrying files up and down after years of study. If what you studied does not show you the way of being productive, why not invest little money and hear from trainers who had gone through the same channel you thread. Do you know that thousands of people if not millions have the same certificate you are holding? You need to make yourself unique in labour market and be creative so that you can offer product(s) to people and they will reward you and make you millionaire.

 

Research has shown the secrets behind the failure of businesses and reflects the strategies of growing them without stress. Even starting yours and monitoring the growth is just simple, we will reflect the secret for you and see what make the rich becomes richer on daily basis. The only effort you are going to make is to avail yourself inevitable opportunity to attend our one day Business and Empowerment Workshop. See you at the venue. Thank you.

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