How you can be gainfully engaged this year!
Digital photography
The impact and place of social media in our daily lives cannot be overstated as such it is not just enough now for people to take photographs and keep the hard copies. People want to have digital copies they will share on social media, as such the need for creativity comes in, in the past celebrities are the ones that employ services of creative photographers but now people need their services for pre-wedding shoot, birthdays shoots, graduation shoots, even online stores needs to take photographs of their products.
Itoro Ita, an undergraduate and photographer in Jos town, Plateau state spoke about how he would be improving his photo-business this year. “As most aspiring photographers, the goal is to be better. And to be better, one needs to step up if not overmuch, at least a little. So I may not as yet be planning on some mega photo studio or something, but I'm sure expecting to boost my freelance photography with some handy gadgets.
“I need to buy an additional lens hopefully before the year runs out and I need additional lightings. I should be able to attain these this year, and if I do, I know my job quality would be more lit,” Itoro said.
The photographer expects to have more customers and paying ones indeed in this year. “I also expect more customers who are willing to call and most importantly pay for my services. At least, before the year runs out, I'd like to see myself in the top 10 best photographers in Jos,” he revealed his ambitions.
Graphic designing
The social media has become or is becoming parcel of our daily lives as such new jobs are created or redefined. One of such jobs is for the Graphic designers. There are many opportunities this year for people with such skills because it is the year before election. Politicians will employ the services of graphic designers to create, images, charts, graphs etc that will be shared on social media. In addition there is an increasing number of companies with social media presence they will also need such skills to market their services and product.
Social media engagement
This is a job opportunity that comes with the millennial. Organisations with online presence need social media savvy persons to manage their account so also government agencies, celebrities, politicians, religious bodies and many more, coupled with the fact that 2018 is the year for election preparation and world leaders have taken to social media to send out messages as such opportunities abound.
Web developers
Aside from having a social media presence having a website be it for business, government, personality, ideas, movement etc is becoming the order of the day as such opportunities abound for such skills.
Clothing line
The clothing business is one that never runs out of style. Youth are encouraged to try their hands on it this year and watch the success unfold. The CEO of Velcroz Designs, Usman Abdulmeed told our reporter about his hopes for the business. He expects that the federal government will complete key railway lines to ease logistic and improve power supply to boost local raw material processing.
There are other opportunities you can dive in this year. Some of them include;
TEF $10,000 programme
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has opened its portal for the 2018 Entrepreneurship Programme that provides $10,000 seed capital for participants after a 12 week training programme.
The foundation announced this on its website and across several newspapers, calling on eligible entrepreneurs to apply to the programme from January 1, 2018.
Launched in 2015, The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme ( TEFEP) has a 10 year commitment worth $100 million to identify and empower 10,000 African entrepreneurs, create one million jobs, and add $10 billion in revenues to Africa’s economy, it said.
This year’s application marks the fourth cycle of the programme as the Foundation said outstanding African entrepreneurs who have start-ups or business ideas with the potential to grow are encouraged to apply.
The programme is anchored on seven pillars that include providing start-up enterprise toolkit through a 12-week programme; a non-returnable seed capital of $10,000 paid in two tranches to enhance business operation, and the TEF Alumni Network where one becomes a member after completing the 12-week training programme.
It directed applicants to its application portal where they will complete the form by answering a series of mandatory questions and uploading additional documents and identification materials.
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) 2018
The programme was launched by the United States Government to train the next generation of African Leaders who will shape the future of African business and entrepreneurship, civil society leadership, and public sector management.
The YALI Regional Leadership Centre (RLC) West Africa in Accra, Ghana is offering an innovative and game changing Online Emerging Leaders training programme for youth.
T h e programme is hosted by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for youth between age 18 and 35 from Nigeria and Ghana. Nigerian youth are encouraged to apply to this as it is open till January 19, 2018.
Speaking generally on what is expected to boost businesses for the Nigerian youth, the CoFounder of Perspective Changers, Ojo Oluwafemi Daniel, said he hopes to see that Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SME) owners are equipped with more knowledge based trainings so that they can fully understand the various businesses they run.
"Without full detailed knowledge our SME's won't get it right in 2018 which will still pose a serious threat to our economic development," he said.
He also called for unbiased funding opportunities which he said must be readily available for SME's.
"If our SME's are knowledgeable and get enough funding or investors at least it will give rise to job opportunities to creative Young minds out there as well as raising the standard of living," Ojo said.