Some students of the University of Jos have advised fellow students in institutions of higher learning in the country to take to entrepreneurship to enable them to make ends meet during their stay in school.
The students who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos said the benefits of being an entrepreneur were huge and rewarding.
One of them, Mr Vincent Oguche, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Vinny World Entertainment and a 400 level medical student, said the journey to becoming an entrepreneur had been very challenging but interesting.
Oguche said that he had so far employed 10 staff and 12 ad hoc workers in his establishment, and that they were all working as a team.
“I started early in life after my secondary school education, and then, I could count N350,000 of my own which was a great deal to me.
” Now, my business is worth millions of Naira and we are still growing, thanks to God Almighty, ” he said.
He said that the school environment aided innovation and provided opportunities for students, and such, the students should always look for what to do to earn a living and not be dependent totally on their parents for payment of school fees and other expenses.
Another student entrepreneur, Mr Gabriel Anyanwu, a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, said he was into fashion design which he started in 2015 during a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Anyanwu said that the benefits of schooling and working were so many, ranging from self discipline, time management, money management and investing.
“I have two employees working with me, right now, but we are still growing and hoping for the best, ” he said.
He advised students to think outside white collar jobs and start thinking of creating opportunities for themselves.
Mrs Blessing Amos, a 300 level student of English Language in the university, said that she started her venture in 2010 and had thoroughly enjoyed doing the business, since then.
Amos said that as a fashionista, she was dealing in hair, nails, braids, make-up and other beauty products with which she had been able to pay her bills.
“My shop rent is N150,000 annually, and I have 10 girls working with me and I have trained over 20 girls who are now established, ” she said.
She urged fellow students to turn to entrepreneurship as government alone could not employ all the graduates from the universities.
Mr Benjamin Isuwa, a student of chemistry of the university, said he started his laundry business from home and later expanded the venture to school.
” I started in a very small way, collecting clothes from other students to wash for them and was able to save money with which I rented a shop and bought washing machines.I now employ four people in the business,” Isuwa said.
“The venture is now worth N700,000 and we are still hopeful for greater heights; the business is paying my bills and putting food on my table, “he said.
He advised students thrive to do something meaningful with their time while in school .(NAN)
