The Time For Change Is Now!!!

“We cannot gloss over facts and expect problems to solve themselves.” –Ahmadu Bello.

The fact staring us in the face in this country is that a large percentage of our citizens are unemployed and looking for non-existent jobs.

Another sad fact staring us in the face is that no nation can rise to economic greatness where able bodied citizens are idle and doing nothing.

And the saddest of all the facts is that we will never get out of this mess with how the system works.

We have a system that churn out graduates who don’t know jack about starting a business or creating value.

They come out brandishing a piece of paper called a certificate expecting a job from the government and everyone.

They have this attitude of “expectational arrogance”. They are graduates, they have finished their NYSC, and so somebody must owe them a job.

How sad.

How very sad indeed.

Most Nigerians never think of creating a job and employing others.

They don’t believe in further training or acquiring a new skill that will help them start out on their own.

For them once they are done with formal schooling they deserve a job.

Well, maybe they do deserve a job, but the best way to get a job in Nigeria is to create one.

Even those doing some sort of business are never satisfied until they get a “job”.

I met a cab driver in Abuja who makes more money than a bank teller monthly but he was still begging for a job.

As far as he is concerned he must wake up every morning and go to a place called a “job” before he is satisfied.

This is our general attitude with just a few exceptions.

Granted that our educational system doesn’t prepare us to be entrepreneurs, but once we are out of school we ought to take responsibility for our thoughts and our actions.

The system prepares you to be broke but your attitude will keep you broke.

Take charge of your attitude.

Attend a training, hone your talents, acquire a skill, get business mentoring and start out on your own.

It is really sad to see Nigerians work for years in a bank without learning how to start and run a bank, this also goes for those working in hotels, schools, NGOs, etc. what matters to them is to take peanuts home every month.

While I was working as the Programs Manager of a top NGO in Nigeria I noticed that my secretary never bothered understanding all the concept notes and proposals I was giving her to type, she didn’t bother to inquire how we raised money and engaged our donors, she didn’t bother to know how we executed and evaluated projects.

When I asked her why, she said it didn’t occur to her. But she didn’t change.

One day when I couldn’t take it any longer I fired her. I don’t like such folks around me, they poison my work atmosphere.

One of the best ways to measure this attitude of Nigerians is on social media, especially Facebook.

You can try it. Write anything about business or a business training, you will get no comments, no questions and just a couple of “likes”.

Nigerian youths hardly engage you on any post that has to do with entrepreneurship.

They don’t want to create value, they don’t want to learn anything about starting a business.

They want someone to give them a job, job, job, job…

Do another test. Just post about a job opening anywhere even in a Filling Station and see the number of comments and inbox messages you will get.

Infact the easiest way to scam a Nigerian is to tell him about a job offer.

Nigerians spend more money in bribes trying to get a job than they spend in acquiring skills and knowledge needed to start and run a profitable business.

You will see 1 million Nigerians applying for just 10 spots in a company and it beats me hollow to imagine that none of those Nigerians are thinking about starting a company like the one they are applying to.

Rather they will give you a thousand reasons why they can’t do it, forgetting that the company they are applying to succeeded inspite of those reasons.

Nigerians also love fast money.

I also like to make fast money but it’s just that most avenues promoted online for this fast money making are fake.

Have you seen this craze about “click on this link, register and share with your friends and make $100 daily for doing nothing! Click now”?

And you will see graduates clicking and sharing it on their wall.

If you share a link about a training or a course on how to acquire a skill to start a business those same folks will not click it.

Nigerians also love magic and miracles.

Just post a picture of a top man of God like Enoch Adeboye or David Oyedepo and write a short post like this: “I declare that all the witches in your village preventing you from getting a job will die by fire before Monday next week. Click ‘Like’ and type ‘Amen’ to claim it!”

I bet you my laptop you will get nothing less than 1000 ‘likes’ and comments.

But if you write an article about business, my brother nobody go answer you o.

They want magic not education.

Personally I’m still looking for that Bible verse that say you must type ‘Amen’ on a Facebook post to get a job or be blessed.

I call on all young Nigerians to break this jinx upon our generation, this jinx placed on us by culture and our educational system.

Let’s break this vicious circle of poverty.

Let’s change our attitude and watch our lives change.

Change your perspective, be open to new knowledge and insights, attend trainings, get a mentor, and transform your talents and skills into businesses.

Let’s change our story and that of Nigeria and Africa.

The future depends on you.

COPIED

If this post has touched you and you want a change of attitude but do not know how to go about it or you want to start off something on your own and do not know how to go about it, I am here for you; make me your Mentor-Confessor and I shall fill the gap.

Drop a comment on the blog if you need help or assistance on how to start.

Remember I do not give people MONEY, I give them IDEAS to make money.

#DrJTF