The Panacea For Unemployment In Nigeria

INTERNET FOR JOBS (I4J) INITIATIVE: THE PANACEA FOR UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA
It is no longer news that the unemployment situation in Nigeria today is on the increase as the day rolls by, in a country where over 130,000 graduates are being churned out annually with less than 50,000 job opportunities for them. This has brought with it serious social and economic problems to the nation over the years, everyone should begin to think inwards to see how we can collectively tackle this hydra-headed malady.

The recent initiative of the Nigeria Communications Commission(NCC),the Nigeria Internet Group and other stake holders in ICT under the aegis of Internet For Jobs(I4J) initiative for the youths is a welcomed development especially coming at the right time with the technological development taking place in the country, like the launch and full deployment of the communication satellite in Nigeria-the NIGCOMSAT-1 which will provide among other benefits cheap and affordable internet services even to the remotest areas of the country. It will make the initiative work.

 The initiative which is aimed at exploring legitimate opportunities and ways of creating wealth at the speed of thought using the infrastructure of the internet, should be taken seriously because it has the potentials of employing the unemployed, yes it can provide jobs for anyone who is interested. It will also provide the needed solution to reduce if not stop the fraudulent use of the internet by the group we refer to as the ‘yahoo yahoo boys’. This is a major problem that will be addressed by this initiative because right now Nigeria has a very bad image on the internet as a result of the frauds being perpetrated on a daily bases by Nigerians who use the internet fraudulently.

Having established an online presence for years now as an Internet Marketing consultant, let us quickly look at the benefits of doing business on the internet and some of the online businesses one can start and make a living from, considering our peculiarity. It is now obvious that some Nigerians (netpreneurs) are making money doing legitimate businesses on the internet, in fact everyone should be on the internet, it was Bill Gates, CEO Microsoft Inc.who ones said ‘In some years to come, all businesses shall be on the net, you are either on the internet or you are out of business’ This goes to show the importance of having an online presence.
Some of the Advantages of doing Business on the Internet.
1. It requires little or no start up capital: you can actually start an online business with little capital because this kind of business does not necessarily require an office or business premises, equipment like your ordinary brick-and-mortar business (i.e. ordinary business), you just need internet access and about an hour or two, even from your bedroom, office, hotel room, cyber café etc.you can do business.

2. Anybody can do business on the Internet; I mean anybody can do it if you know what to do and how to do it, you must not be a computer guru, or a programmer, or web designer before you start doing business on the Internet. No special qualification is required, as long as you can read, type and move the mouse; you are already in the business.

3. It is a kind of business that gives you freedom, you can work anytime you want, at any place, and you can actually determine your income. You don’t need to work 9 to 5, you can work part time or full time, which means you can actually combine it with your normal job and make multiple streams of income that will make you financially free.

4. You can start this business with what you like to do, that is your passion. You don’t necessarily need a business plan. You can make money on the Internet with what you know, just anything can be business on the Internet you name it. Someone will always pay you for what you know. Simply put: do what you love and the money will follow.

5. The Internet gives you a wide reach to unlimited market. Your customers can come from different parts of the world. You can actually imagine the number of customers (targeted customers) you will have through the Internet. Think of how many people that is online now from different parts of the world that is the limit of your reach.

6. This kind of business goes on automatically, that means you don’t have to be present all day to monitor the business. The business makes you money even when you are sleeping, yes! When you are sleeping or on vacation.

7. You have unlimited opportunities doing business on the Internet. You can also incorporate your offline business (normal business) that is if you have a business running now and establish a web presence for it and that gives you an edge. Am happy that most companies now have websites, but it really goes beyond having a website, the website should also be marketed and made to bring extra income to the business at a much reduced cost.

8. There are little or no risks involved in this kind of business if you know what to do and how to do it. I must not fail to add here that like every business you need to be shrewd, focused and dedicated to the business. Integrity is also required

Legitimate Businesses One can Start on the Internet
Business whether on the internet or not as we know requires you to provide good services, offer great products and ideas that the people are in need of, it is not different when you get online, in fact on the internet people are not looking for stuffs to buy but they are looking for a solution to their problem, so if you can offer the solution they are looking for you will be paid for your effort, so the more you know what problems people have, the more you be in online business. This is the simple truth about online business. Having established this fact, let us x-ray some of the businesses you can do on the Internet here in Nigeria with or without a website using little start- up capital

Selling of Information
Like I said earlier, people need information that will solve their problem, selling of information is the hottest business on the internet today and every other business revolves round information, you will always be in business if you package your idea into information product, one of the good things about this is that you can be the originator of the idea or you leverage from other peoples idea and product as an affiliate. You can make money with any good information or idea in form of e-books, newsletters, reports, How-to-do articles etc.

 Digital products as they are called, sell like hot cake on the Internet so this business puts money in your bank account at any point in time. You have no limit to the amount you can make on one information product because Information rules the world. It also depends on your ability to learn the art of selling on the internet. And if you are generous with your information and offer them free, you will be amazed how you make money through other back end products.
One Nigerian website that offers free information for GSM users and also serves as a forum for resource sharing is online forum(an online community of GSM users, service providers, investors and regulators in Nigeria).

 Writing articles for webmasters and web developers.
Writing articles that website developers use can make you money on the Internet, you get paid when you write as a freelancer or a ghostwriter, you will be needed to write about 300-600 words or more than as the case may be. Webmasters need articles because they don’t have the time to write so they look for people that will write articles that are highly optimized in search engines using the right keywords, and they will be paid. It is one way to make money on the net. You have freedom to choose the niche or topic of your choice you can write well in. you can even write a whole book for people and get paid for it, there are websites where you find writing jobs. You can equally write articles about your own product and get great patronage.

Other ways of making a living online is by joining the advertising programme of search engines like yahoo and google, the programme is known as Ad Words and Ad Sense. You can also get to trade in foreign currencies online known as FOREX and make a living out of it. One can provide such services like designing and hosting websites, offering marketing and advertising services online. But before you get into any online business, you must do your keyword research to determine the demand, available market, price, competition for your products and services.
To your online success!

Kenneth@gsmusersforum.com