By: Hannah Dadzie
Unemployment among the youth in Ghana and many African countries have become increasingly worrysome. After education, a significant number of young individuals find themselves grappling with the challenge of joblessness.
This situation often leads them down paths fraught with danger, or into activities driven by the desire for quick financial gains. In response to this crisis, Sales School Africa, an initiative founded by a Nigerian marketing professional, is aiming to empower these young individuals.
This program focuses on skill development, enabling participants to earn a livelihood and achieve success independently of government support.
The Founder of Sales School Africa, who is an entrepreneur and a Marketing Expert, Golibe Ilechukwu discussed with Ghana Today the importance of addressing the unemployment gap in Africa.
In many African countries, a significant number of youths heavily depend on government-provided job opportunities after completing their education.
This reliance has led to a substantial unemployment gap, burdening government institutions and limiting their capacity to create enough jobs. Many young individuals gravitate towards quick money-making schemes, often overlooking the potential of innovative, entrepreneurial paths.
Sales School Africa is helping to address this issue by encouraging the youth to embrace entrepreneurship as a more viable and fulfilling way to succeed.
The platform recognizes that the traditional sectors are often unable to meet the escalating job demands, leading to a rise in under skilled individuals who struggle to find employment.
Golibe Ilechukwu, a Sales and Marketing Expert and advocate of Sales School Africa, underscores the platform’s role in digitally connecting young Africans to various business opportunities.
“There is a huge gap in the African space, there is a lot of unemployment and under-skilled people. When you look at the University system, you go through university after four years, you come out and you cannot end a high paying job. It is crazy and this happens every year. So Sales School Africa is coming in to bridge that gap, by showing Sales and Marketing skills which are essential, that will help the youth to be enjoyable in the foreign market” Mr. Ilechukwu indicated.
He emphasizes the importance of pursuing stable and long-term career paths over quick financial gains, advocating for sustainable personal and professional development.
“One thing we need to understand as youth is that the government can do everything, we need to take a step back and decide that we want to learn skills and own internet and physical businesses and cater for ourselves. If you look at history, you can check online, the men who built America, entrepreneurs built America and not the government, so i believe that entrepreneurs, business owners are the people who will change Africa. I noticed that from the African perspective there is huge employment gap, there is unemployment in Nigeria, there are problems in the whole of Africa. What we are trying to do is simply train people then connect them to business in diaspora” he stressed.
Mr. Ilechukwu’s goal is to empower 50,000 young Africans to overcome their fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs.
He aims to equip them with the skills to attract more clients, generate higher income, and ultimately live more fulfilling lives.
“The goal is to pay and learn a skills, get a mentor, go to classroom, this time it is virtual, become employable, become a person of value then you solve problems with these skills, then you make money from it. There is no put money here and expect a certain percentage, no no. Making money in betting is not the problem, but is it sustainable, is it long term because you bet today, tomorrow your money will be gone. The question is, is it the continuous way to make money? So i don’t believe in luck because i believe that whatever you do, you need to be intentional. It’s not magic, you don’t use $1 to win $10,000. I feel it is not replicatable. You need something you ca repeat every single month and be sure of a definite output.” The entrepreneur and Marketing Expert said
He asserts that young people can earn a living from home by leveraging their skills, coupled with determination and resilience. Moreover, by acquiring employable skills, youths can significantly contribute to societal change.
“We have regional offices and will be able to impact as much youth as possible, that is African youths, because statistics shows that African youths are one of highest population in the world. So i can see that there is a huge workforce that is waiting to learn something that they can use to make money and impact change in their immediate communities” he added.
Sales School Africa stands as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for transforming the mindset of African youth, steering them towards impactful and prosperous careers.
Empowering youth with employable skills can indeed be a significant factor in driving societal change. This approach not only prepares them for the job market but also fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, which can fill gaps where government initiatives may fall short.
