Anti-unemployment crusader Mayowa Ajibodu premiers short film ‘Hope’
In view of the challenges that unemployment poses to youths in Nigeria, a new movie titled, ‘Hope’ has been produced and premiered by Mayowa John Ajibodu, under the auspices of ‘Shun Unemployment’ initiative.
Ajibodu revealed that the movie, potrays the harsh economic realities that Nigerians undergo as a result of unemployment and proffers innovation, entrepreneurship and diligence as the solutions.
According to Mayowa, in an interview at the Movie Premiere which was held at Lydia Hall, River Valley Estate, Ojodu Berger, Lagos; “Unemployment is a disease and we must all work hard to make ourselves a doctor that can cure it. And in order to be that doctor, one needs to start thinking of what one can do to be of help. And, one of such things that I feel every youth should do is getting themselves skilled.
“The short film is created to encourage every Nigerian youth with or without a job, schooled or unschooled, literate or illiterate to believe in themselves and to have hope of a better tomorrow.
The short film centered on the struggles of an average youth, with a humble background, raised by a single parent who also suffers from tuberculosis.
He went through the usual struggle trying to raise funds to afford formal education. Despite all his effort to survive, eventually he lost his mother, the only source of hope he had,” Ajibodu narrated.
He urged everyone to see the film which he said encourages farming which some Nigerian youths see as a non-profitable, embarrassing and humiliating venture. “While some are busy seeing what agro-business is not, trust me some serious, creative and committed youths are busy making more than enough from it.”
“The fact that you went through formal education and that you went to the university does not mean that you would be successful out there. Nowadays, what gives money or what makes you more successful is when you pursue passion. So what drives you, what gives you joy, what makes you happy? Go after it. learn more about it, learn more about your field.
“Trust me, one or two persons are watching, that want to invest in your idea. Eventually, before you know it, you become an entrepreneur and you’re shunning unemployment.”
In addition, the Father of the day at the Movie Premiere, Pastor Joseph Adenuga stated that ‘Shun Unemployment’ has the goal of creating 25 million jobs for 25 million youths in Nigeria.
“If you go to the prisons, you find the youths; terrorists, it’s the youths; in prostitution, you find the youths; in armed robbery, you see the youths. But now, we want the youths to take up their destinies in their own hands and rather than becoming a liability, waiting for the government to provide for them, they would become an asset. Our goal is to create 25 million jobs for 25 million youths. We are saying ‘there is hope’ and that the youths should use their strength and creativity to generate revenue for the government.”
Explaining how this goal would be achieved, one of the advisers of ‘Shun Unemployment,’ and the CEO of Unlock Consulting, Tunji Ope, said, “This initiative is anchored on Train-Empower-and Nurture.’ For most SMEs in Nigeria, the cry has always been the lack of access to credit. But we realise that it is not just the access to credit that is the issue but capacity.”
In creating 25 million jobs targeted at 25 million youths, it means that we need to interface with the youths. We need to bring them to a space where they begin to see their own potentials, not just in terms of exhibiting their talents, but in turning that talent into a business, and beginning to see it as a business; not just as a means of getting extra income, but to structure it to be a business that becomes a brand that will be at par with what obtains in other countries.”
Casts of the film : Jide Kosoko, Victor Olaotan,Joke Muyiwa, Mayowa Ajibodu
