By Fr. Dr. Godswill Agbagwa
A major reason why unemployment is high in Imo State is that there are insufficient jobs for the growing youth population. One way to reduce unemployment in Imo State is to create more jobs. There are many types of jobs that can be created for Imolites, but I want to draw our attention to high paying and sustainable jobs that can be created in a short time and with minimal resources. These include digital and information technology jobs.
As the founder of a nonprofit dedicated to helping young people build great careers, cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurship, become leaders of character and embrace their roles as critical actors in building a better society, I can say that youths equipped with digital and information technology skills are not only making a living with these skills but are also creating job opportunities that are helping other youths make a living. Indeed, there are immense opportunities in the digital and information technology world, and I shall be discussing a few low hanging ones, some of which we are already exploring at our hub (www.chubng.com) in Owerri.
Digital and Information Technology Jobs
Digital and information technology jobs are in-demand today because we live in a digital age and can no longer cope without digital services. Digital and information technology jobs are also sources of decent and sustainable income. For instance, the lowest some web designers can accept from a local client for a simple website is between N100,000.00 and N150,000.00. For an international client, the fee is between $500.00 and $1000.00 which is about N500,000.00 based on current exchange rate. A good web designer can design up to three simple websites in a month. Of course, the websites need to be maintained too and web designers charge monthly maintenance fees to keep the websites running. Do the math and tell me how many employees earn such amount of money per month in Imo state. But this is just for web designers.
Cyber security experts earn even more. An average cyber security expert in the United States earns up to $100,000.00 per annum. Many of these experts work for these US firms from the comfort of their rooms and are paid in US dollars. Data analysts earn quite high too and can work for any firm from anywhere in the world. A simple data entry expert may earn as high as $1,000.00 biweekly in the United States. This is about N500,000.00 every two weeks.
Graphic designers are making good money from home, too. An average graphic designer charges about N4,000.00 for a flier and some charge as high as N25,000.00. A good graphic designer can create up to three graphics in a day. Today, many graphic designers use smartphones to design. Video editors are in high demand, too. Video editing is a huge market and one can specialize in one or two areas and make a good living out of it. An amateur freelance video editor charges about N20,000.00 for a short video.
Digital marketers and copy writers have become core personnel in small, medium and large enterprises across the world. There is no serious business that is not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Politicians, schools, churches, and celebrities are also on social media. They are on these social media platforms to promote their brands. But they need digital marketers and copy writers to develop contents for them and manage their handles. Some digital marketers and copy writers are serving multiple organizations and persons from the comfort of their rooms. These clients make monthly payments to them. Small businesses pay up to N50,000.00 to copy writers to generate contents and manage their social media handles. Medium and large businesses pay even more. If a copywriter is serving ten small businesses only (and many are serving more), the monthly take home is about N500,000.00 per month.
There are immense opportunities in the digital and information technology world. Blockchain and Web 3.0 offer even more opportunities that can be explored. Coding, software and hardware development are yet other areas of digital and information technology that can be explored. The good thing about digital and information technology jobs is that most of them have no boundaries. Unlike industrial, farming, tourism and educational jobs that may require the structural presence of these jobs in Imo State for Imolites to take advantage of them, digital jobs can meet Imolites in Imo State from any part of the world. Whether it is website designing, cyber security, data analysis or digital marketing, Imolites can do digital jobs anywhere in the world from the comfort of their homes. Digital and information technology jobs are easy to learn and do not involve lengthy training periods. Digital experts also spend very little in operational cost even though they earn more. Digital job opportunities are limitless and those who have the skills are highly in demand.
Creating Digital and Information Technology Jobs for Imolities:
Imo state government can take advantage of its tech savvy youth population to turn Imo State into a global digital service hub. Like the Philippines and Indians, Imo state can provide digital services to the rest of the world from Imo and here are tips on how Imo can achieve this.
- Training: The good thing about digital jobs is that it only needs skills, not degrees. Once you have the skill, you have the job. Imo youths are already tech savvy. There are hundreds of digital skills that are in high demand across the globe. We have identified some of these skills and offer them to Imo youths in Owerri. Interestingly, some of these skills can be acquired in just a few months or even weeks. For the highly educated youth population in Imo state, learning these skills would be quite easy.
- Work tools: There are only four main tools needed by digital experts to make money:
- Laptop: The laptop is the most powerful tool that digital experts need. Sadly, most Imo youths do not have laptops and cannot afford one. To make Imo the digital hub of the world, Imo youths interested in digital services must be able to access and afford laptops. The government can work with investors to make good laptops available to Imo youths at affordable prices.
- Electricity: This is the most important tool that digital experts need. Without power, digital experts cannot work. Sadly, the power challenge in Imo remains a major hurdle. Beyond the city of Owerri, access to electricity is tough. To make Imo the digital hub of the world, Imo youths interested in digital services must be able to access uninterrupted power supply. One way to achieve this is by switching to renewable energy. At our hub in Owerri, we use solar energy and enjoy uninterrupted power supply. The government can partner with investors to explore solar alternatives for digital and information technology service providers.
- Internet: Without the internet, digital services are impossible. Access to the internet in Imo state is still quite challenging. Beyond Owerri, many Imolites may not have access to strong and reliable internet. To transform Imo State to a leading digital service hub, youths interested in digital services must be able to access strong and uninterrupted internet. Interestingly, new internet providers are already in Imo state. The government can work with investors to provide reliable and affordable broadband connectivity for its people.
- Workspace: The digital service provider needs a comfortable space to work. While young people across the world can work from the comfort of their homes, Imo youths may not be able to work from the comfort of their homes because their homes are not conducive for work. Imo youths interested in digital services must be able to access conducive workspaces.
Linkage to Local and International Jobs:
That digital jobs are available world over does not mean that Imo youths can access them. Trained youths equipped with the necessary tools must be linked to jobs by those who know where the jobs are. There are a few procedures that must be in place to enable Imo youths access global digital jobs. Unless we put these procedures in place, digital service providers in Imo may end up fighting over few digital jobs in the State. Currently, we are putting structures in place to link Imo youths to international jobs. There are many battles to fight here, including lack of trust caused by the atrocities of internet fraudsters Across the world, Nigeria is notorious for scam and internet fraud. This is discouraging people from doing business with Nigerian youths. Imolites in diaspora also have a role to play here. They can help rebuild this battered image by patronizing Imolites in the digital and information technology industry.
Conclusion
Imo state has the potential to overtake India and the Philippines as global digital hubs. These are hidden opportunities that some organizations are already exploring in the state. The government can look into these emerging opportunities as avenues to create decent and sustainable jobs for the jobless Imo youths. The government can work with investors and other stakeholders to expand the opportunities already offered in Owerri. This will be a win-win for all. For the government, this would help curb insecurity and other social vices often caused by unemployment. This would also increase income generation for the government as players in this industry can be mainstreamed into the formal sectors so they can pay their own fair share of taxes. For the private sector and the rest of us, this would also mean that we can go about our legitimate businesses without fear of insecurity. Of course, these digital and information technology experts can add significant value to our businesses and contribute to making a difference in the fortunes of the state.