Entrepreneurship is the way to go, especially in our nation Nigeria. Formal and government jobs are fast disappearing. The good news is that; no matter what you studied or the trade you that you learnt, you can still make money in Nigeria. That there are multitude of problems in Nigeria is good news to the entrepreneur because he that solves multitude of problems is paid multitude of money.
People are paid for providing solutions to problems, so find a problem you can solve and find people that can pay you for solving such a problem. The problem of government’s inability to provide quality public schools in Nigeria gave birth to private primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. The problem of heat gave birth to fans and Ac’s, while the problem of traveling long distances resulted to trains, cars and airplanes. The problem of go-slow in major cities in Nigeria gave birth to commercial motorcycle business, commercial tricycles and street hawkers of various edibles.
There is a problem each and everyone one of us can solve, our duty is to locate that problem. For us to know the business we can go into; we have to answer the following questions:
- What do I love doing?
- What do I have passion for?
- What can I do effortlessly and get paid for it?
- What problem do I hate so much that I would love to solve for the community?
- What skills do I have?
- Which new skills do I need to acquire in order to be able to solve the problem?
- Do I need partners? If so, who can I partner with to solve the problem?
- Who will pay me for solving the problem?
Answering these questions correctly has already given you a business you can start. When you have skills or reasonable capacity to do a business, capital will follow capacity. Capital is not the first thing you require to begin a business. Many people use capital as an excuse not to start off but my personal experience and that of many people around me; including those who have attended my seminars or read my books is that – when you have capacity, capital will follow.
In 1999, I began a fire extinguisher business without capital. I had an office space but no single product to sell however, I had acquired capacity in that line of business earlier on. When the MD of a major importer of fire equipment products noticed I had capacity, he advanced me products worth five million Naira (N5,000000) on a sell-and-return basis. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you, creativity and innovation is required for you to do so. Opportunity awareness is vital to success because some LOOK while others SEE. In most cities in Nigeria today, there are very few good mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, bricklayers and so on. So if you desire money badly, you can learn any of these trades and still do well in life. Customers are looking for reliable, honest and efficient service providers.
Please look around you, around your city or village and find out the existing opportunities that you can seize to create wealth for yourself and help other people.
–Joseph Chuks Elue; the author of “poverty is not hereditary”