An employed Nigerian youth is rare to see. Not every Nigerian youth has the luxury to be employed by an organisation.
With the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria today, most people have found different ways to keep body and soul together. Some, through illegal means while some do it with hard work and commitment.
A popular saying goes ” Lagos, the city of the hustlers,” in all fairness that statement is absolutely true. Lagosians are hardworking, smart and at time dubious.
Let’s recognise 5 of the businesses youths in Lagos do to make a living.
- Recharge card/ Phone Call centre:
You see them at every bus-stop with a table and an umbrella. They are the ones who make sure we never run-out of airtime. The business is a first choice for most unemployed youths, because it requires very little capital to start-up. The hitches in the business are very few, if there is any at all, but like all businesses this can easily crumble without proper bookkeeping and fund management.
- Transportation Business:
The transport business is one with a lot of untapped potential. Lots of young industrious and visionary youths have invested in the transport business, be it sea or land transport. The problem with it is the very gargantuan amount of capital needed to start the business.
- Internet Business:
Slow down a little, before you jump into conclusions let me explain to you what I mean by Internet business. A lot of Nigerians are currently making a whole lot of money legitimately online from things like writing, blogging, affiliate marketing and even managing of a cyber cafe. Although some make money trough Internet fraud, which is what comes to most peoples’ mind when they hear ‘Internet business’, I’m glad to let you know that legitimate online business makes more money for youths than dubious ways legal. All you need to dabble into this field is steady Internet access and training. The training used to be the expensive part in the past, but has been made completely free now, thanks to the search engines today, you can find tutorials online on how to go about anything you need to know.
- Showbiz:
The Show business seems to be one of the biggest money spinners in Nigeria today and yes most of this happens in Lagos. It is attracting so much attention, that some youth are willing to leave school or work to pursue a career in show business. This venture thrives mainly on talents and management, but being as attractive as it is, both talented and untalented people go into it. We all know how that goes.
- Tutoring:
Some graduates without jobs might choose to do home tutoring or do tutorials for people at special exam lessons. People who do this might be well trained as a teacher or just a job seeker, however they get the job done. Youths in this field have only one problem which is finding clients, apart from that there is no need for capital, all you need is intellectual capital which should not be a problem for a graduate.
