Defying the heavy rains last Saturday, hundreds of Nigerian youths gathered at the 2023 Creative Industry Career Fair organised by Jobberman to learn, network and secure job placements with organisations that exhibited during the Fair.
In his opening address, Jobberman Nigeria’s CEO Oreoluwa Boboye said, “We tailored this event to be an all-encompassing approach to addressing the human capital development side of the creative sector. Beyond that, we have also created it as a platform to foster deep and insightful conversations with industry leaders, this is evident in the careful selection of the panellists, niche workshops, and the calibre of speakers we have represented in each.
Sam Onyemelukwe, Global Business Development Director, Trace SA, encouraged attendees in his keynote address to constantly seek opportunities to learn as new tools and technologies become available.
The Fair featured a Fashion Education Summit led by Sinmi Adesanya from the Council for International African Fashion Education (CIAFE). Participants also had access to upskilling plenaries and workshops, including sessions on film, video and photography; fashion; public relations, communications & marketing, as well as business management and law.
“As a learner of Data Analytics at Alx Africa, I learned a lot at the Jobberman Creative Industry Career Fair and won myself a video recording tool that would help me make videos pitching my ideas and innovations. I learnt that I must use a script for my content, document my volunteer experiences and knowing and branding my skills are important,” said Ayodeji Olaiya, a participant at the fair.
While panellists in the business management and law session spoke extensively about non-disclosure agreements and how creatives must proactively protect their intellectual property, Grace Alabi, an Instagram and Video marketing strategist, shared other key points she learnt during the other sessions. “I learnt that contracts must have an exit strategy and clause.
This will protect you if you eventually discover the terms are not favourable and you want to leave. Also, they shared that as creatives, we have to communicate the value we offer with numbers and data,” she said.
Via the complimentary job booths provided to employers at the Fair, organisations held on-the-spot interviews and shared the projects that their companies were working on with Fair attendees.
Notable organisations present during the event include M.O.T Lifestyle (motthelabel), Scott’s Legal, Mak Africa, Spurt Africa and AVATA Works Digital Agency. Others were FiberOne Broadband, MNIKS Purple Ventures Ltd and Creative Arts Solution Foundation, amongst many other exhibitors.
The Creative Industry Career Fair is part of efforts to help the sector harness its tremendous potential to unlock Nigeria’s economic prospects and provide increased employment opportunities for young people. The event was organised by Jobberman Nigeria through its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Obsidian Advisory Africa.
