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By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
In a society where career choices and paths of most young people are often influenced by unorthodox factors such as religious inclinations, superstitious beliefs, peer/ parental pressure among others, a Foundation has stepped in to alter the sordid situation. The Foundation has embarked on a mission to transform young lives by guiding them to make informed career choices.
At a recent career guidance session organised by Dews and Aire Career Guidance Foundation in Lagos, 16-year-old Emmanuel (surname withheld) shared a story that captured the career delimma most young people face. According to Emmanuel, his future had already been planned “not by him”, but by others.
Emmanuel’s family pastor had told his mother that he had received a vision about the boy’s future to the effect that her son was destined to become a pilot. Typical of an extreme, ultra religious Nigerian, Emmanuel’s mother accepted the so-called vision hook, line and sinker.
“My mother promptly instructed me to follow the career path laid out for me by the pastor’s ‘vision’ even when I did not even know the subjects combination that could qualify me to enrollment in an Aviation school,” Emmanuel recalled.
Just because a pastor had seen a “vision,” no one had bothered to ask Emmanuel what his career preference was. However, at the Dews and Aire Career Guidance career guidance session, the young lad bluntly declared that his dream was to become a lawyer, not pilot.
Founder and chief executive officer of Dews and Aire Career Guidance Foundation, Morenike Keye, rues that like Emmanuel, many young people lack proper guidance and counselling to discover their interests, strengths, personality, or abilities before important decisions about their future and career were made. Speaking at the session, which also doubled as the second anniversary celebration of the organisation, Keye said: “Most young people knew very little about the wide range of careers available today, the subject combinations required for different professions, or the skills needed to succeed in today’s world. Their dreams are real, but their voices are hardly truly being heard.
“Emmanuel’s story is not unique. Across Nigeria, thousands of young people face similar challenges every year. Many complete secondary education without receiving proper career guidance, mentorship, or the information needed to make informed decisions about higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, or vocational training.
“Some lose confidence along the way, while others drop out of school altogether. Many settle for careers that do not match their abilities or interests, not because they lack potential, but because they lack guidance.
“It was this reality that inspired the establishment of Dews and Aire Career Guidance Foundation two years ago. The foundation has a simple but powerful mission: To ensure that every young person, regardless of background, has access to quality career guidance, practical skills, and the support needed to build a successful future.
Since then, that mission has grown into meaningful action.
“Over the past two years, the Foundation has travelled across Lagos State, visiting government secondary schools in Education Districts I, II, III, IV, V, and VI. In classrooms and school halls, students have been encouraged to ask questions, discover their strengths, explore career opportunities, and believe that their dreams are achievable.
“Through career talks, mentoring sessions, educational support, leadership development programs, and career counselling, the foundation has reached more than 500 students across over 55 government secondary schools.
“Our mission is to inspire, equip, and empower every young person to discover their purpose and build a successful future. During the past two years, we have seen students become more confident simply because someone believed in them and showed them what was possible.
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“Career guidance is more than choosing a profession; it is about helping young people discover their potential and giving them the tools to succeed. As we expand our programmes across Nigeria, we remain committed to ensuring that no young person is left behind.”
Spreading its tentacles to cover young people in other parts of the country, according to Keye, is Dews and Aire Career Guidance’s next move. Essentially, after two years of transforming young lives in Lagos through career education, mentorship, and youth empowerment, the foundation is set to expand its programmes to reach more students, graduates, job seekers, and young professionals across Nigeria.
To this end, it’s seeking collaboration with like-minds – corporate organisations and individuals. Keye further said: “Dews and Aire Career Guidance aims to expand beyond Lagos. We want to replicate our success story elsewhere; we want Nigerian youths in other parts of the country to benefit from our interventions.
“We are therefore, seeking collaboration with corporate organisations, agencies, individuals etc that share our vision and concern for the Nigerian youths career wise.
“We have in the past collaborated with respected organizations as part of our commitment to strengthening career development opportunities and expanding its impact through strategic partnerships and we are open to more of such collaborations.
“Dews and Aire Career Guidance welcomes partnerships with government agencies, educational institutions, corporate organisationss, development partners, non-governmentalorganisationss, philanthropists, and community leaders who share its commitment to advancing education, youth empowerment, and workforce development.
“By combining quality career guidance with practical skills development and strategic partnerships, we are helping to build a generation of confident, skilled, innovative, and employable young Nigerians prepared to succeed in the 21st-century economy.
Speaking further on the Foundation’s proposed expansion beyond Lagos, Keyee emphasised that “building on the success of its first two years, the foundation is expanding its programs to provide broader access to career development services and practical skills for secondary school students, graduates, job seekers, young professionals, and out-of-school young people. Through career guidance, digital skills training, entrepreneurship education, and lifelong learning opportunities, the foundation aims to ensure that every young person—regardless of their location, educational background or life circumstances—has the opportunity to build a productive and successful future.
“The Foundation’s programmes include: Career guidance and counselling, career talks and career awareness programs in secondary schools, student mentorship and coaching, Support for out-of-school young people through career counselling, digital skills training, and employability programs, CV and résumé writing support, interview preparation and workplace readiness training, Digital skills and digital literacy programs, entrepreneurship and small business development training, leadership and personal development workshops,
Youth empowerment initiatives, online learning courses and career resources, professional development and lifelong learning opportunities
“Our mission is to inspire, equip, and empower every young person to discover their purpose and build a successful future.
“For the past two years, we have seen how quality career guidance can transform lives by giving students and out-of-school young people the confidence, direction, and practical skills needed to pursue education, employment, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning. As we expand our programmes, we remain committed to reaching more schools, communities, and underserved young people across Nigeria.”
As part of its next phase of growth, the foundation is developing a comprehensive online learning platform that will provide career guidance resources, digital skills courses, entrepreneurship training, career assessment tools, quizzes, certificates, and professional development opportunities, making quality career education accessible to learners regardless of their location.
Keye is a dynamic entrepreneur, writer, and social impact leader.
She combines a passion for excellence, purposeful service, and youth development with her expertise in the construction industry and a strong commitment to community development.
