Creating Jobs through Freelance Writing

By Maureen Azuh as ‘Mission to spread Freelance Writing’ (Published in the PUNCH Newspaper on September 4, 2012)

Unemployment among youths is one issue most countries have to grapple with.In his capacity as a young Nigerian, Biodun Awosusi, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, has introduced freelance writing to his fellow corps members, to help them cushion the effect of unemployment.Awosusi, a medical graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, currently serving with the Odi Olowo Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, Lagos,  says he has over five years experience in freelance writing, and aims to teach young Nigerians like himself the part.“I am motivated by the urgent need to tackle the unemployment challenge in the country,” he says. “Prof Pat Utomi says the unemployment problem in the country is a time bomb. We must not allow it to explode.  Freelance writing offers an opportunity to address this problem. Thousands of people can get meaningful employment if they explore online freelance writing opportunities explained during our trainings. It is interesting to note that the freelance writing industry employs over 140,000 people in the United States but less than 5000 in Nigeria.”

He adds that although the government is taking steps to address the unemployment challenge through programmes such as Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, tagged, ‘You Win’ initiative and Skill Acquisition and Entreprise Development – which was recently incorporated into the National Youth Service Corp for young graduates – yet, “these efforts are insufficient to meet the enormous challenges unemployment poses in this country.”

According to him, many of the graduates are unprepared for the writing needs required to get jobs or start one while many others do not know how to compose meaningful resumes that can attract jobs. A number of them, he says, also want to start social ventures or businesses but do not understand what it takes to develop a viable business plan.

Through his penpreneurs initiative, Awosusi says, fresh graduates will be trained on how to write resume and business proposals. Other skills include the ability to design proposal for support for a social venture, ability to seek employment in online custom writing companies, commencing blogging for personal or corporate use and the ability to provide writing services at the primary place of assignment.

Awosusi calls his initiative, Corpers Writing Opportunity, which trains 100 interested youth corps members in NYSC Secretariat for four weeks.

For more information, visit www.cowo.com.ng