Some graduates assume that petty businesses are only reserved for the illiterate. Society, too, has a similar sentiment that an educated person should not engage in businesses such as laundry, shoe-making, selling recharge cards or vegetables; cap-washing, operating commercial tricycles, selling ‘suya’, tailoring, cooking noodles, or farming, among others. To them, they are businesses that belittle one as they have little or no value at all.
As a result, graduates roam major streets desperately in search of white-collar jobs.
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They always dream of working in prestigious government or private organizations such as NNPC, CBN, banks, communication companies or other ministries that will make them look important in the society and live extravagantly. They forget that a large chair does not make a king.
Today, Nigerian graduates are in a situation whereby seeking jobs has become their jobs rather than becoming creative or entrepreneurs.
Many graduates are as ambitious as Lady Macbeth. They want to be rich within the blink of an eye, without suffering. They forget the fact that even the loftiest of mountains begin on the ground.
At times, they group themselves to argue about footballs; counting the richest people on earth and the latest cars to drive when starting a new work or narrate the type of life to lead when they become rich.
The most ignominious thing is that, there are a lot of illiterates that own profitable petty businesses who employ graduates to work for them. What an irony! Indeed, if one fills his head with pride, he will lack space for wisdom.
One should not put the key of his happiness in someone else’s pocket. Doing that brings dissatisfaction. Let us think of what to do and become the masters of our destiny. Let us be creative rather than depend solely on the government for work.
Let’s put this in our mind that, it is not working that kills, but worry. If we close our eyes to the facts, we will definitely learn through accidents. So, graduates should discard the negative habit of holding petty businesses or menial jobs in disdain as they can be the gateway to riches.
Usman Usman Garba writers from Kano and can be reached via: [email protected]
