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The Founder of Poshclick Foundation and Poshclick Portraiture, Jokotade Shonowo, has stressed the importance of creative skill development and financial literacy in addressing youth unemployment and reducing vulnerability among young people in Nigeria.
Speaking at the close of a week-long creative training programme for secondary school students in Lagos, Shonowo said vocational education could serve as a lifeline for young people whose educational paths may be uncertain due to financial or personal constraints.
“Skill development and skill training is something that is very important, because it’s something that can help young ones take charge of their lives if other things fall apart or don’t come to fruition like they planned.”
The initiative, tagged “Skill Up, Stand Out,” was part of Poshclick Foundation’s Youth Empowerment Through Life & Vocational Skills project, which trained over 120 senior secondary school students between July 28 and August 1 in Lagos. Participants were drawn from Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Grammar School and exposed to practical training in photography, videography, makeup, fashion styling, and content creation, alongside life development classes.
Shonowo explained that the programme catered to students who may not have immediate access to higher education, creating an alternative path to apprenticeship and entrepreneurship. “For those that don’t have the means to go to university, they can transition into apprenticeship, so that they’re not just left fallow. It’s nation-building, because we’re catching them young, making sure they don’t go in the wrong direction,” she added.
The foundation also integrated financial literacy, leadership, self-responsibility, and etiquette training into the curriculum to ensure that students were equipped not only with technical skills but also the right mindset. “It’s very important for children to know about financial literacy, because the greatest asset that they have is time,” Shonowo said. “And if they know about money earlier on, it will be a solid foundation for them to thrive and build upon. “We’re going to pair them up with makeup artists, photographers, videographers, established content creators, fashion stylists, so they can get hands-on learning on the field.”
The training featured several facilitators, including Chris Omoijiade, CEO of The Chris Omoijiade Company; Uche Agu, CEO of Ouch Films Multimedia; fashion entrepreneur Demilade Osanyintolu, CEO of Sisi Hannah; and Omontese Ita, Founder of BeautyCook Studio.
A senior teacher at the school, Mrs. Ayeni Folake, said the programme provided students with much-needed exposure beyond academics.
“Apart from classroom work, they teach vocational skills for them to know how to make use of their hands. When they are on holiday or during the weekend, they will have something useful to engage with.”
For students like Ajayi Rachel Gift, Head Girl of Babs Fafunwa Grammar School, the training was life-changing. “Truth be told, I didn’t know much about fashion styling when I started. But I learned draping, creativity, and I discovered I could be more than just a book person. I look forward to benefiting from the internship programme because I want to improve my own skills. Your clothes can express who you are. So, I want to build myself in that.”
Another student, Abayi Norah, said, “It was an amazing experience that gave me hope for my future. I wouldn’t normally have access to such role models at home, so learning from them inspired me. I hope this kind of opportunity reaches other underserved communities.”
