Every creative Nigerian can excel amid the choked-up terrain, where unemployment is a big issue made worse by the recessed global economy, a Nigerian entertainment investor, Augustine Emeka Ugbaja, popularly known as Dr Whyte, has said, encouraging the young ones to invest in their initiatives.
He said these are the days one need not wait on the government to provide jobs or keep applying for employment that is not available in other people’s private businesses, but, everyone should now aspire to be his or her own boss.
The creative industry is so wide, and in it also is the entertainment industry with a wide range of opportunities for the hard-working ones. “Since everyone can think, what those who seek to break out of the unemployment problem should do is to sit down quietly and think of what they can do best, then begin to make your launching plans,” Dr Whyte said.
Ugbaja, who is the CEO and founder of Southnice Records, said over the years of promoting and producing for indigenous singers, most of whom are already making waves in the industry, he has seen the possibility of every talented one, especially the youth making it.
“As we can see, technology has helped a lot in leveraging potential opportunities drivable in its day-to-day application, especially with the advent of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and others given even user voice and free channels to showcase their creativity.
“Now, talented musicians, skit makers, actors and owners of small businesses are showcasing their skills and talents, while businesses are grown to global standards with the opportunities created by social media. So, no one should sleep back today and cry of no job, you are the one who will create that job for yourself with your creativity,” Dr Whyte said.
Drwhyte, who is also the owner of Dr Whyte Empire, a community that brings all kinds of diverse cultures together for people’s enjoyment of Afrobeats and other music cultures, also described creativity as the key to national growth.
According to him, while the government is also encouraged to make the atmosphere conducive for businesses to thrive by formulating good policies, providing security, and soft loans for starters and generally seeing to the promotion of national values and ideals encouraging patriotism, all these are needed to bring the best out of every creative Nigerian.
“Government should also solidify the implementation of laws that guide the protection of intellectual property to discourage piracy which has discouraged many artists to go for quality because at the end of the day, they lose a lot from their huge investment to pirates who illegally duplicate their works,” Dr Whyte said.
He also charged players in the private sector to create more opportunities for starters and those aspiring to be self-employed in their day-to-day plans such as in their social responsibilities, giving sponsorship opportunities for creative artists, partnering with them in showcasing the products of their talents.
“There are a series of ways the private sector can come in here, like in the area of partnership, money can be made available with agreeable terms and conditions to do or promote certain jobs in a win-win situation, or outright sponsorship can be done. All these are ways of encouraging talents to develop until individuals can stand on their own,” Dr Whyte said.