Kaduna diploma holder turns entertainment guru

Tell us about your educational background?  I attended Kwakwachi Special Primary School and graduated from Gaskiya Skills International School in 2008 where I obtained my Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) and later proceeded to Federal Cooperative Collage Kaduna for a diploma in Cooperative Economics.What do you do for a living?  I am currently into entertainment. […]

Tell us about your educational background?

 I attended Kwakwachi Special Primary School and graduated from Gaskiya Skills International School in 2008 where I obtained my Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) and later proceeded to Federal Cooperative Collage Kaduna for a diploma in Cooperative Economics.
What do you do for a living?  
I am currently into entertainment. I double as a master of ceremony (MC) and disk jockey (DJ) and I am also into event planning all in a bid to make ends meet, as an orphan. I learnt how to take care of myself very early in life.
Why did you venture into entertainment business?
I went into entertainment because I felt I had a flair for it; I’m good at it in all aspects, not that I am blowing my own trumpet, but I felt one should do what he or she loves doing because it is only then, that you will put in your best. I also felt it is a sector that is not fully tapped into by the youth of today.
How was the business like when you started and how is it now?
I started this business because I saw an untapped opportunity and since I started, it has not been easy because you need to convince parents, who are your preferred clients, that you are doing a good job during their children’s parties and others.
You need costumes and other people as well as equipment to do a good job which brings us to capital. I had help from savings and relations, so it is going well with me because I also have clients who believe in the quality of the job I do and that is very important. If one want to succeed in this business or any kind of business, honesty is a major factor.

How do you get contacts to sustain the business?
I do personal advertisement via flyers and I share my cards and phone number after each job I do. That is why it is necessary to do a good job because it pays off in the end as your clients will equally get more clients for you by recommending you to their friends and relations who want to get in contact with people in that line of work.
Is the business lucrative?
Yes, the business is very good and lucrative. But in the long run it is not all about the money, but about the relationship you build with people. The lowest I charge is N7, 000 depending on what the client needs for the event and in a month if you have a lot of jobs one can make at least N50,000.
Why did you abandon your field of study for the business you are into now?
I did not abandon my study, I told you I am an orphan struggling alone to make ends meet. I have no one to pay my fees and I needed to think outside the box instead of roaming around the streets like I see so many young people do. I decided to look to what I loved doing and how it could make money for me and entertainment came in.
When is the peak period of your business?
Between September and December because I get more jobs then.
How many people do you have in your employment?
The number of hands I need depends on the weight of the job at hand; but permanently I have three boys under me.
Now that you have a job, do you intend to further your education?
Yes, I intend to further my education because education is power. As I speak to you now, I have bought a Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) application form and applied to study Theatre Arts at the University of Benin.
What successes have you recorded in your business?
I have achieved my tuition fees for my university education, and I’ve been able by God’s grace to help other youths like me.
What does a starter need to go into your kind of business?
All you need is capital because you don’t need to be an entertainer; you can be a banker and run this business. When you have the required equipment including at least one cartoon character costume and man power, you are ready. And if you are hired as a DJ, you will need speakers mixers, microphones, amplifiers and so on, but you can have a DJ who has all these equipment and all you do is get a job, let’s say for N20, 000 and you call the DJ and pay him N15, 000.
What is your advice to unemployed youth who are after white collar jobs?
My advice is simple; do not wait for family and government to come to your aid. Look inward and I am sure there’s something you have within you that can pay you big time. If you feel you do not have it, learn a job which will be useful to you and the society in general and then make sure you go back to school because heaven helps only those who help themselves.