As many of you may have known by now, Nigeria keeps churning out tens of thousands of graduates every year for almost non-existent white collar jobs. To make matters worse, the last 2 - 3 years saw many companies collapsing or scale down their operations due to the recession, hence the already scarce jobs has become even scarcer. Hence, with so many qualified and experienced people currently out of job, the chances for fresh graduates becomes even dimmer.

However, at the same time, there are a couple of opportunities in Nigeria that are being occupied by workers from neighbouring countries, while Nigerian youth are crying for job. Don't you think that it is time to take a second look at these so-called lower level jobs?

Lack of adequate vocational training has created a lot of opportunities in the technicians cadre, with very few people - especially educated people - venturing into them, despite the high demand. Hence, it is technicians from Benin Republic, Togo and ivory coast that are mainly filling these roles in Nigeria right now, especially in Lagos. Some of these jobs are as listed below:

1. Fashion Design: It is no secret that most of the good fashion designers in Lagos (male and female) are of Cotonou and Abidjan origin. This is a skill that can be learned and you easily set up yourself after your service year. If you choose to attend a proper fashion school, in just 6 months, you can learn enough to set you up, although it is not cheap. A cheaper option is to learn from roadside tailors, but you may need at least 2 years to learn something tangible. However, many ladies laid off by various companies, especially banks have started venturing into this en-mass. Hence the market may soon be saturated, although if you have passion for it, you would still thrive.

2. Household Appliances Repair: You would be shocked by the amount of household appliances that had to be thrown away yearly due to minor faults that can be easily repaired, but there are no repairers around. I have personally has to throw away washing machine, refrigerator, microwave ovens, several blenders, dvd player, decoders, inverters, rechargeable lamps, and several other electronic appliances just because I can't get them repaired. The fluctuating power supply from PHCN does not help matters as it always tend to blow up these appliances. With the current exchange rate to US dollars, prices of these items are so high now that you almost cry if they get damaged, as they are not so easy to replace anymore. Can you imagine how much money to be made if you can learn this skill, especially if you have a science or engineering background? You not only make money for yourself, but also help your client save money, and you also contribute to saving the planet, as there is less electronic waste.

3. Refrigerators and AC Repair: Although this is similar to item 2 above, the technology for refridgerators, freezers and air conditioners are very similar. Right now, the number of good technicians in this field are also very limited. Hence, if you learn this skill, there is a big market for you to tap from.

4. Sewing Machine Repair: With the rapidly expanding fashion sector in Nigeria as mentioned in item 1, also promoted by promotion of "Made in Nigeria" clothing, there is no better time to learn how to repair sewing machines, both domestic and industrial. In fact, all the technicians in this area right now in Lagos are very overwhelmed by the volume of work, hence they disappoint most times. Many are also not so educated and very unreliable.

5. Generator Repairs: I have consistently used generator technicians from Benin Republic for over 10 years now, because they are simply the only ones I know that understand what they are doing. The few times I had tried to use Nigerian repairers have ended up in disasters. Hence, I believe it is a good time for our educated youth to venture into this, as the rewards are enormous, considering the epileptic power situation in Nigeria. It is an open fact that even the poorest homes would have at least 1 small generator.

In conclusion, I believe that the youth service year is a golden opportunity to acquire a skill to get you self-employed or employable after the service year, while waiting for that elusive white collar job. By the way, most of these skills will make a lot of money for you even if you have the opportunity to travel abroad, as you would make more money there than most white-collared job over there, as you charge for your services per hour, and you have total control over your time. I have seen many ladies learn fashion design and hair dressing just before relocating abroad, as they are very lucrative over there, especially where you have large Nigerian/African community.

On a personal note, I am interested in item 4 from my list above as I have someone close to me running a fashion school. Hence, I fully understand the demand and market for the service. Hence, I would like to make a proposal that if any youth corper with either Physics, mechanical or electrical engineering background (HND/B.Sc) is willing to learn this skill, I will be willing to set him/her up after youth service, as I plan to set up a training/repair centre in the Lekki - Ajah axis of Lagos to train people on these. I will engage the person as an instructor if I am convinced of the level of training is sufficient. You can learn from the repairers in Idumota, Lagos Island where they sell the tokunbo sewing machines, as they often work on them before selling. I believe that with your level of education and additional research on the internet, you can have a good grasp of this in less than 1 year.

I am also interested in Item 2, because I can also see the demand for this. Most of the older repairers are finding it difficult to cope with the new electronic technologies being used now. So, someone with electrical/electronics background should be able to learn this skill in a short time. I can also include that as part of the curriculum for the training/repair center.

Hence, if you are interested in any of the two options above, you can drop me a WhatsApp message on 08059859728 or send email to info(at)aquilaconsults.com. I should be able to follow up with you and advise on how to go about it.

Cheers.

don't forget agriculture in an advance ways & lean to start small and grow BIG.