Sterling Bank moves to boost job creation in Nigeria

Sterling Bank has said it will continue to support initiatives aimed at creating jobs and providing entrepreneurial opportunities for the Nigerian youth. As a result, the bank said it organised the ‘Get Ready for Work’ concert, which attracted a number of fresh graduates, undergraduates, National Youth Service Corps members, and job applicants across the state. The concert, themed ‘Set off your career in style,’ was aimed at providing entrepreneurial opportunities for the Nigerian youth as well as preparing the participants for self-employment. According to a statement from the bank, invited speakers delivered speeches geared towards getting the participants to think beyond the structured environment for employment. It listed some of the speakers as the Co-founder, Jobberman Mr. Olalekan Olude; the Executive Director, JUMIA, Mr. Gbolahan Fagbure and Chief Executive Officer, Frontiers Consulting, Mr. Muyiwa Afolabi. The statement quoted the Group Head Strategy and Communications, Sterling Bank, Mr. Shina Atilola, as noting that the high rate of unemployment was the primary reason for the concert. He said, “We realise that 23 per cent of Nigerians are unemployed and we asked ourselves how we can help. While Sterling Bank cannot absorb everyone here today, we have taken your CVs and will look at them and those that we consider employable, we will definitely employ “But some of you are not employable and some don’t even want to work in a structured environment. They want to be
on their own. “We have partnered with people we know have done it on their own and have succeeded. We believe these successful individuals will add colour to achieving your dreams.”According to the statement, discussions were led by Olude, who told the inspiring story of how he and two other friends laid the foundation for the successful company, Jobberman, some four years ago while still in school. “We were in school. It was during an industrial strike just like this. We decided to maximise the strike Facebook had just come out then. We decided to do something online. We selected between movies, music and jobs but we settled for jobs,” he was quoted as saying. The entrepreneur challenged the participants to become
job creators. “What if there are no jobs? What I have realised is that what it takes to get a job is what it takes to set up a successful company; what you need is to have a dream; be yourself and learn to execute every of your plans,” he said.
The statement quoted JUMIA CEO as saying the watchword for success was discipline in both personal and business life. “Always be prepared to make that sacrifice to achieve your goals,” he emphasised. Muyiwa Afolabi, a passionate public speaker, underlined
the importance of facts in progressing in life, saying, “Facts are important in progressing in life but you must have your facts right,” he said. One of the outstanding facts, which would resonate with participants at the event, according to Afolabi, was the fact that education and career are not pre-requisites for wealth.

Sterling Bank Plc, originally incorporated in 1960 as Nigeria Acceptances Limited, was licensed as Nigeria’s first Merchant Bank in 1969. You can follow them on twitter @sterling_bankng.