By DANBABA TIMOTHY
The era of queuing for Federal Government jobs is over, with over 500,000 graduates chasing fewer than 5,000 annual civil-service vacancies. The mathematics is stark: 99 per cent of job seekers will remain unemployed if they wait on Abuja.
Civil service portals crash yearly. Nepotism locks doors for most applicants. Even when you secure a position, salaries often delay for months, promotions stall for decades and retirement can bring penury.
A retired director in Owerri still rides an okada at 68 because his pension vanished.
Meanwhile, self-made youth are cashing out. Chukwudi, 26, from Aba, turned his phone-repair skill into a chain of three shops, employing 12 youth and clearing ₦1.2 million monthly.
Fatima, 24, from Kano, sells hijabs online and earned ₦800,000 in one Ramadan week. Tunde, 29, from Port Harcourt, codes apps from his bedroom and earns $3,000 monthly from U.S. clients.
No CV, no connection, no godfather. All you need is just a skill, hustle, a phone and data. Self-employment beats government work because it offers instant income. And you can start today and earn tomorrow.
There is no cap on salary: government pays ₦70,000, but your business can pay ₦7 million.
And you control your future: no redeployment to the bush, no queries for breathing.
Retirement is in your hands: you own your business and can sell it for millions when you turn 50. The action plan is simple and achievable. Skill up for free using YouTube, Google or Coursera, learning graphics, coding, tailoring, makeup or solar panels installation.
Start small with just ₦50,000 capital by selling recharge cards, frying akara or fixing phones at the junction. Go digital by opening WhatsApp Business or an Instagram shop and deliver products using Gokada. Link up with WhatsApp groups of traders in your field, remembering that money speaks louder than tribalism.
The government will never employ 40 million youth. But the market urgently needs barbers, bakers, coders, farmers and fashion designers today. So, stop printing 200 CVs. Rather, print 200 flyers for your hustle.
The new Nigerian dream is not a desk in Abuja. It is a business empire you build with your own hands. Rise now. The streets are hungry for winners. And you are perfectly wired to be one!