As The Year Folds Up - How to finally land your dream job in 2020!

Nigeria is one of the most populated nations in the world with a population of about 200 million. This population provides her a strong workforce which can through gainful employment increase the economic potentials of Nigeria.

The population of Nigeria and the abundance of graduates who can  become productive has not led into direct productivity for the African country.

Recruitment exercises into various government agencies in the past has seen the death of several during the recruitment process. It was an eyesore for instance to watch videos of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recruitment where young people were attempting to scale the wall of the parastatal in order to access the locked venue of the test.

The desperation of many youths as regards employment is understandable as it also determines the quality of life and ability to survive of an individual. Employment is attached to dignity and Nigeria has a lot of youths who since leaving the University have found no direction in life.

Some of these graduates are unemployable. Truly, the condition of Nigeria also indicates that due to the poor quality of education, many graduates are produced who cannot be employed. Easy to put this on public education which is in shambles - however, how do you ensure this doesn't impact your life and future negatively?

The condition of underemployment is also severe in Nigeria with terrible wage rates for much work and the concern of several Nigerians has been how to improve their standard of living while managing paltry sums as salaries and the Nigerian youth is also confronted by a situation where he cannot find employment and cannot also raise capital towards a Dream.

As a young graduate myself who landed my dream job in the middle of all kinds of harsh situations, I understand that the condition in Nigeria is still too unpleasant and many graduates in Nigeria have become unable to achieve full potential. For this reason, I have come up with an online course, The Employable Graduate which gives a detailed approach to landing your dream job before graduation.

From healing small-minded thinking to getting valuable work experience regardless of what level you're in or your graduating class of grade, I cover extensively everything you need to know, and that you may not necessarily be taught in school.

This course launches in March 2020 - click here to hear it first! when we go live

PUSH

It was a Tuesday morning. As I walked through the corridors of the hospital in which I was, with my mum, I heard a loud scream from a woman in a nearby room. Startled, I asked my mum why the woman screamed. Turning to me, mum said, “Simi, we just passed a labour room”. I went silent, thoughts racing through my mind. “Labour room!”, I thought to myself, “Wow, what goes on in there is no joke”.

While I will not attempt to reduce to nothing what the labour room means to a pregnant woman, the labour room is actually one room we all go into at some points in life. I'd define this room as a birthing place - the place which you go into to bring out what is inside you. You may need to cry, shout or even scream but you cannot keep the 'baby' in you any longer. Your baby may be a dream, a relationship, a project, a business plan...anything! Just birth it forth!

The push will not be easy. You may want the baby to stay inside a little longer, you may even wish you never got pregnant but with every ounce of energy you have left in you, PUSH that baby out and experience the endless joy that follows.

Have a fantastic week ahead.

Similoluwa.

Scrap this NYSC NOW!!!

I started a series on Inflation and its effects last week but we have to take a pause to examine what is actually happening in the NYSC camps in Nigeria especially after the death of Ifedolapo and Udeme, corpers who lost their lives in the training camp in Kano and Zamfara States due to human negligence.

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Brief history of NYSC

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was created in a bid to reconcile, reconstruct and rebuild the country after the civil war. The Civil war lasted from 6th July, 1967 till 15th January, 1970. General Yakubu Gowon promulgated the NYSC decree 24 of 22nd May, 1973. It was stated that NYSC is being established with a view to the proper encouragement and development of common ties among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity.

After Tertiary education, young Nigerians who are less than 30 years old 'serve' the country under the NYSC scheme. Community Development Service (CDS) is a major feature of the 1 year compulsory service, and I should quickly add that corpers are deployed to serve in areas different from the ones where they were born in or the ones where they schooled in.

***
The main issue...

Tragic events have happened over the years that  have made people question the relevance of NYSC. Nigeria covers an area of about 925000 km sq.(just for the records, this is really large!) and has 36 states + Federal Capital Territory. To serve the country, people are usually posted to geo-political zones which they probably have never been to or have no idea of what living there looks like.

One of the major tragic occurrences that has made people really question the relevance of NYSC is the fatal accidents on the roads while travelling from a zone to another. Last year, I know of 2 very promising youth corpers who lost their lives to fatal car accidents on Nigerian highways.  These guys had already graduated from University for goodness sake! Imagine what their parents went through putting them through school, only to lose them to the wicked claws of death, no thanks to TERRIBLE Nigerian roads.

The second tragic occurrence I can recall was mainly political. We had an election in Nigeria, parties won and lost as the case is in normal democracy, and next thing we heard was that corpers were being killed all over the country. Again, Imagine what their parents went through putting them through school, only to lose them to unapologetic claws of death, no thanks to political instability.

The third occurrence, which is most painful is the death of corpers even right in the training camp due to lack of facilities human beings need for basic survival. I just heard 3 corpers are dead now! What is going on Nigeria? Can someone on the floor of the senate or house of rep do something about this? These deaths are majorly due to lack of good medical facilities. Ifedolapo had an ánaphylactic reaction and Udeme had diarrhoea. Does this mean the medical guys on ground could do nothing about this? This is disheartening

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Way forward...

We need an action plan....Nigerians what do we say, and how do we go about this? Has NYSC outlived its usefulness?

Go on, paste your comment and let's see how we can make something positive happen in the right direction. This is NO joke, this is serious business

What our current inflation rate means for the average Nigerian (1/x)

I was on my way back home today when I saw a woman hawking fried fish. She was wailing bitterly about the state of things in the country. Shortly before I saw her, I considered putting up a post on 'Inflation and the current state of the Nigerian economy' - when I saw and heard her, I figured it was time to write on this topic. (I'll be touching on a couple of economic terms in this series and I promise to break-it-down so we can all understand what's up presently in Nigeria).

Okay. Back to the woman. She looked like she was in her late 30s or early 40s. She carried a baby on her back. Just beside her was a young boy (about 6 years old) who was walking about with her as she hawked. She looked tired and stressed, but still kept on hawking, like her life depended on the day's sales. I looked at her, wishing I had the money to start her up in another business that will require less physical stress compared to what she was currently going through. A rough estimate of the total sales of the fish she hawked was about N700 (Seven hundred naira), and I imagined how she was going to live on that with 2 children (or more).

She represents the average Nigerian. If not in every way, in little variants here and there. (Think about it)

The question that comes quickly to my mind after this sight becomes: What does the current inflation rate mean for a woman like this?

To start with, Inflation is the persistent, continual and sustained increase in price of goods and services. This means things become more expensive such that I can only buy less with my naira. Take for example: I, Similoluwa entered University in 2010. As at this time (2010), higher education notebooks cost N100 each. I graduated in 2016, and now, the same higher education notebook costs N220. In 2010, I would have bought 2 books with N220 (at N100 each), and I would still have been left with N20 change. Inflation occurred over the years, and prices rose.

The value of the naira is defined by its purchasing power i.e. what you can do with your money  determines its worth. Now, when there is inflation, there is a reduction in what you can actually do with your money. In other words, your money(naira in this case) loses worth.

Having defined Inflation, what then does an inflation rate say and what are the implications of an increase in rate for me as a Nigerian?

Join me in the next post for a continuation of this series.

Cheers to the freaking weekend.

Simex lori gangan. (Dad calls me this, still don't know what it means)

About my sabbatical leave...

Hey guys!

I'm not sure sabbatical is the word BUT it's good to be back. Gosh! I haven't blogged in MONTHS.

The essence of my blog is to journey through life with you remember? I really have to apologize for journeying alone since April...Jeez! I  have to confess that the 'after-school' period of my life (the period of time after one graduates from the University) was filled with over 10,000 bumps...I mean, I had to really sit down and ask myself, 'Simi, what exactly did we say we wanted to make out of life again?

One thing I have realized is that life itself is a journey and you sometimes don't have the full picture- It is usually line upon line, precept upon precept. The beauty of everything is that we can always hope to, and work towards getting to our destinations safely, no matter the type of bumps, twists or turns we meet on the way.

It's really good to be back. 

So in my world of blogging, I'm opening the back seat of the door once again for YOU. Come in, will you?

See you in a jiffy!

Mosimiloluwa.

Decisions

You get to some stages in life where you make some critical 'life-determining' decisions.

For some, it's the decision to donate a kidney to a loved one; for another, it is the decision to give away their last meal.

Whatever your decision, just ensure you can look back in time and say 'I MADE THAT DECISION, no matter the consequence you had to face.

It's Goodnight from me.

Mosimiloluwa.

OKAFOR'S LAW: The law of repeatable action

I was gisting with my 'about-to-be Doctor' friend about her ward rounds and medical sessions they had in the hospital that morning.

By the way, Dr Tayo Adisa is my longest standing friend. She's sooooooooooo much fun to be with and when she starts the gist....just sit back, relax and listen to her.

This ensued between us

***
Tayo: Simi, guess what I heard today?
Simi: What?
Tayo: I heard about Okafor's law. The law says if people had once done something, they can do it again. So if lovers once had sex together, they can do it again, no matter the number of years that have elapsed.
Simi: Really???????
Tayo: I heard it o. I was shocked. It's even published in an academic paper as I heard.

We then moved on to talk about other things. But the law stuck in my mind-Okafor's Law

****
While I have my reservations. I mean....the fact that something occurred once does not necessarily mean it will happen again, I still strongly think it is better not to start some things.

A whole lot happens around habits, addictions and behavioral patterns that it is just very safe to play safe.

Moralists will tell you the difference between right and wrong. Religious beliefs also frame the way we see rights and wrongs. Notwithstanding, when choices are made, consequences follow.

If going by your value system,'it' is wrong, then kindly gather the strength in you and stay away from it. Don't start it. Period.

And if you've started, well, good news, YOU CAN STOP. You can reach me on koyesimi@gmail.com for further discussions on this.

Cheers to the ending week!. Countdown to graduation, by the way (Yipeee!)

Mosimiloluwa.

They are part of us

Gboyega Bisileko, this is for you and for every other person who has seen a 'gap' that should be filled.

Go ahead, meet that need; fill that gap!

****

The cycle of dawn ends

Unmasking the reign of shades

Then rouse daughters of the night

Plying their flesh-art trade

Scantily clad

Provocative in their poses

I saw them at night

A starry night of lights

Incandescence…hues of red

And in sorrow I’m bowed

Transported to another world

Another place……yet another picture

Where these ones are worthy matriarchs

Moulding policy from cradles

Pioneering souls

Blazing thought paths anew

And then I know

To them must dignity be restored

They are part of us…….

Aye !!! They are us.

He bid me come...

I was scared and he was too.

I looked into his tired eyes.

He'll be leaving school soon, I will too
He's at the edge of making life-shaping decisions, I am too
He's concerned, he hopes he will make the right choices. Same here.
He wishes he could have a peep into the future, I do too

In times like this, my hope lies in the fact that Jesus 'bid me come' and that He's with me all the way.
There are times I'm not sure. Times I wish I could run away from some things. Times that make me wonder what the future really holds.

So I'll conclude with what I told him- Trust God.

I look forward to saying- Yes, I trusted God and this happened...

Cheers to the coming week.

Similolu.

Remembering the Nigerian Fallen Heroes this day...

I looked at the man. It was 31st December, 2015. I wondered why he was not home with his family. I wondered if he had emotions and could express them. He looked strong like steel and stood firmly as a rock, ready to protect and defend- not fearing death itself if it met him right on that spot. He was an 'army man'.

The Mission Statement of the Nigerian Army; 'To win all Land Battles in defence of the Territorial integrity of Nigeria, protect Her National Interests and accomplish other Tasks in aid of Civil authority'.

People (fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters) lose their lives to make the above happen.

This is to honour them all, both living and dead.

You guys make Nigeria, Nigeria.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

#IStandWithBuhari

Outliers...machines in human form

First, Happy New Year.

Each time a new year comes, I am reminded that one of the 'simple joys' of life is having new beginnings. If you ask me to define 'new', I'll define it as 'never existing before'- this consequently means life itself presents us with fresh opportunities to do things we have never done before.

May God help us to do new things, go new places and do new stuff this year

*******

Second, He won it for the 5th time! Like, H.e w.o.n i.t f.o.r t.h.e f.i.f.t.h t.i.m.e!!!

I was about to trip for him when I remembered my new year resolution not to trip in vain.

Funnily, I don't agree with the text on the picture above. Messi is human...very human sef. He was asked in a Guardian story how he was able to get so good. He said:
     
 'First of all you've got to love the game'. How much? 'Well, from the age of three I played every day: every morning, afternoon and night. Inside the house, too...I'd break things. My mum would go mad...'

Dassit!!! Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice and more Practice. However, I am quickly reminded that you cannot take God out of any success story. Things don't randomly happen, there's a planner behind the scenes- GOD.

I congratulate him on this unbelievable feat and I think he got a beautiful wife to match the Ballon d'Or *TeethySmile*

Cheers to the New Year.

Similoluwa

THE MAN OF MY DREAMS by Adegoke Olawunmi

So my friend, Olawunmi, decided to dip her hands into her heart to bring out a poem. She came up with one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read. Please enjoy it and leave your comments below...

The man of my dreams                                                      

 Can't wait for dusk to fall                                          

To catch a glimpse of him                                                

 Though the night may seem short                                         

 It’s always a feel of heaven on earth                                                                                                                                                

The man of my dreams                                                

An admire to all                                             

Gorgeous and well crafted                                               

Heaven knows and well speak                                                        

 His name with time I will know and tell                         

Ifeanyichuckwu I call him for now                                           

 Ifeanyichuckwu                                                                                                        

His face I love to see                                                        

 I will squint my eyes to stare                                                                                        

 Even in darkest of night                                         

 Till we see and meet in face    

 Ifeanyichuckwu.                                                         

 Ever seated amongst the kings                                  

 A Geber for real I know                                            

 He shall cover my under garment                           

 For none other save him to see                                                                                   

His heart finds trust                                                                    

As he delights in me by day          

Ifeanyichuckwu                                                                                                         

Bends knees at rising                                           

And never bares his back on bed                                        

Without flipping through pages of    script                                                                                                                                 

 Little wonder he's an embodiment of wisdom    

Ifeanyichuckwu                                                       

 God's very beloved                                                                                               

Whose members are kept safe                               

Till that very day                                                                                       

 We both say I do before Him                                                                                          

 And all bare record to the command kept

Ifeanyichuckwu

I behold and see Him in him                                                         

 My heart is captured from within                                         

My senses intact I keep

The man of my dreams shall come to me in due time                                                                                

 Fair or dark he may be                                                         

 I will choose to care less                                                   

Then I will know and say                                                                                                      

 "Ifeanyichuckwu is sent from God himself”                    

Olawunmi can be contacted at wunmytte@yahoo.com

NIGERIA AT 70

I took time this morning to go over the course of events in the past 55 years.

Truth be told, if after everything we have been through in this country, we still stand and we still refer to Nigeria as Nigeria, then we have done well with holding faith in our possibilities. Truth is, with that FAITH blended with UNITY, we’ll have PEACE and PROGRESS as yields.

Timi Dakolo always does it for me with his song on Nigeria…

*********

I project to 15 years' time and I see a Country where EVERYTHING works

A civil society where everybody sees the success of the Federal Republic as a JOINT RESPONSIBILITY

A place where people operate with Natural Excellence and achieve outstanding results.

I see growth in Our Economy, I see the Economy diversified with multiple streams of income for the Country and multiple exploration of the many beautiful resources we have been endowed with

I see transparency and accountability in all leadership positions. I see Servant Leaders and people of Integrity rise to the occasion

I see with all brightness the ‘death’ of corruption

I see Civil Servants that are ready to give their best to ensure that the country is effectively and efficiently run…administrative processes that result in positive yields that can be evidently seen

I see the Educational system work with experts in different field produced.

I see Innovation per excellence. I see ideas and strategies being conceived and implemented

I see Statistics that are a true reflection of the state of things. I see Policies that WORK

I see ALL sectors work…from Health to Power to Security to Infrastructure to Aviation to EVERYTHING

I see a government which is OF the people indeed, by the people indeed and FOR the people indeed.

Arise O’Compatriots, Nigeria’s Call Obey!

God Bless Our Nigeria

Happy Independence!!!

Yes,Sex....So what?

                                                                 Originally published January 22, 2014

I stared at him in unbelief.” No, this cannot be true”, I said to myself. He continued talking “yes, that’s where grace comes in, after committing a sin; you ask God to  forgive you and you move on; Simi, do you think sexual sins are so grievous that God won't forgive? Each time I have sex with a lady, I ask for forgiveness and I move on with life”. I was shocked at the statement. This was a discussion with a ”Christian” friend who told me about how grace will always cover his sins.

Just when I left him, wondering the manner of men we have in this world, I met another “church” guy who asked me out and promised to give me the deepest kiss of my life the day I give him a yes, all the while I was talking to him, he was busy paying attention to my lips and it was obvious that he got attracted to what he could see only and not the woman in me. Shock was an understatement this time around; I was shaken to my foundations. I left that day promising myself never to even mistakenly mention the word “Yes” to him even in our subsequent casual conversations.

A friend, Favour Omoruyi posted something on Facebook. He said “if there is one thing the church has always done, it is to keep quiet on some sensitive and important issues... I feel the time of silence is long over”. We don’t really talk much about Sex in church; some people even feel that the word “Sex” should not be mentioned in the Church because the Church is a “holy ground” but wait… who created Sex? Who made it an act of worship to Him between a man and a woman within the sacred confines of marriage? Is it not God? So why do we act as though sex is so unholy and dirty?

Well, I've learned not to argue scriptures... it's a waste of time to do so, but I am of the opinion that grace is not a license to sin; grace is a teacher. The bible says the grace of God that brought salvation has appeared to all men,TEACHING us that having denied impiety and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and justly, and piously in the present course of things. Grace does not tolerate sin, grace teaches us to live right. So, if I would answer the first guy, I would say God is not a fool; we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.  God forgives truly… but God should not be taken as a fool. And to the second guy, I’ll doff my hat to the guy who looks beyond a lady’s curves, hip, lips and fingertips and looks into her heart and her soul to discover the woman she is. I’ll respect a guy who is not only attracted to the way I look, but to my potentials, my abilities, a guy who will sow seeds to see me grow, a guy who will look into my eyes when my dark long hair has turned gray and my smooth chocolate African skin has wrinkled and still see the beauty in me.

Enough of these panting after a woman’s body like it is oxygen, enough of these Sex craziness in our culture… we need men and women to rise, people that despite the decadence in our society will stick to God’s word and wait for sex till marriage. We need men that will make up their minds to stay faithful to God and their spouses despite the raging hormones and nude ladies all over the place and women that will stand firm in decency and never compromise their stand.

 May God help us all.

Nigeria's Educational System. See this...

I got to the school around 10:26am.  I saw pupils gathering stones outside. I muttered to myself, ‘What on earth are these big stones needed for?’ Some of these pupils looked really tired and miserable while the others looked hungry, I later got to know some had not taken breakfast and had come to school ‘emptily stomached’ that day. I asked myself, ‘What’s the methodology of teaching hungry pupils?’ I later learnt the teachers were last paid 6 months ago-‘Wait…how do they survive and cater for their own families?’ Well, the straw that broke the Carmel’s back was that their promotional examination questions were written on the blackboard for them to answer *DeepSigh*

Now, Nigeria is a great Country. In the Nigeria I was born into, people still laugh and smile. Businesses still boom, ideas still thrive and results still get achieved in My Nigeria. I don’t intend joining the millions that address our weaknesses without applauding our strengths.

However, the educational system, particularly Public Education needs to be paid serious attention to. Quality education for the Youth is a nation’s greatest assurance of a worthy future. I remember discussing with the headmistress of the school I went and asking her whose responsibility it is to take care of children- the government or the parent? She paused and stared into space like my question took her to the depth of her core beliefs. I’ll have to answer that myself.

I’m not ready to debate whose responsibility it is.

What I think;

Abraham Lincoln defined Democracy as government of the people, by the people for the people. If this has been mutually agreed to be true across all cultures, then the government has a principal role to play in making life easy for the people and in making education luxurious, interesting and affordable.  As much as parents should be responsible for their children (I mean… why bring children into this world without plans for their survival?), I still think that the government is responsible for the people. If education should be 25% of the National budget, then let it be. Incorporate plans, implement policies and yes…. Flush out corruption and its perpetrators.

I still see it. I see nations wondering how Nigeria gets things done. I see people trooping to Nigeria to see how our systems and institutions work. I see a land that flows with so much milk and honey. I see our children compete favourably and lead children from other great countries of the world. I see Nigeria being referred to as a developed country and our economy, one of the leading world economies.

It will happen in my lifetime.

Cheers to the weekend!
Mosimiloluwa.