You Don’t Have to Live in Lagos to Have a Successful Career in Nigeria! Here Are 5 Options to Explore

The number of people that move to Lagos in search of jobs and better lives is quite high. Famous for being the city where people go to ‘make it’, many Nigerians are oblivious to opportunities elsewhere in the country. They would rather move to the city and suffer stiff competition, unemployment and other unfavourable conditions, with no assurance of actually succeeding in their endeavour. Some of these people, however, take this path because they are unaware of opportunities they can explore outside of Lagos. If you are considering a career path with a mind to pull in a healthy salary,  Lagos, may not be your only or even best opton.  We may have some ideas for you:

Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Lagos may be a hotspot when it comes to logistics activity, but with the awareness and the growth of online retail sales, an increasing number of customers outside Lagos are now demanding rapid delivery of their purchases and companies in those areas are looking for skilled logistics and supply chain graduates to fill a variety of roles. If you are not a skilled logistics and supply chain graduate, however, you can consider building your own logistics start-up. A career in Logistics and Supply Chain management is one you would find rewarding outside Lagos. There will be little or no competition. And even if there is, enthusiasm and attention to detail will also set you apart from the competition.

Photography
The truth is, your ability to make it as a photographer lies completely in your talent, dedication and probably a bit of luck. You do not have to move to Lagos to make it as a photographer. People outside Lagos who pay to have Lagos photographers travel to meet them, only do so because there are hardly any photographers in their area.
The average photographer outside Lagos makes about NGN 150,000 a month, but that’s also even because plenty of people do the work only part-time. If you choose to specialize in event photography, profiles, fashion, environmental or architectural photography, you will not only earn yourself a niche, but have the potential to work for publications outside Lagos that might even pay more for editorials, weddings or product photography.

Event Planning
Most of the popular events held throughout the year happen in Lagos, and the top the event planners have their offices in Lagos. But who caters to the other states in the country? Do the people in these other places not have wedding ceremonies; celebrate birthdays, funerals or music concerts? From Port Harcourt to Calabar and Ibadan, there are so many places where you can go start up an event planning business and thrive. In these other areas, the competition is less and it is less challenging to stand out as an event planner. All you would require would be hard work, marketing, and building up a network of clients and other planners.

Acting
Lagos is the heart of Nollywood; it is where the fabulous actors made it. And there is the impression that if you can make it in Lagos, you can make it anywhere. But what if you live outside the city? Does this means you stand no chance at excelling in your acting career? No!
You do not need to be frustrated about living outside of the city and wanting to make it in show biz. Some of the great actors we have in Nollywood today did not start in Lagos at all. Most of them acted on their dreams, before they landed in the big city. Audition for a role on the local TV station in the city you live in, or on any of the Network’ branches there including NTA, AIT, e.t.c and build yourself up from there.

Agriculture
Agriculture is a significant sector in the Nigerian Economy; it has been referred to as the future of the country’s growth. A number of Lagosians have ventured into the business and made a career out of it; however, they face myriad of challenges that people who engage in the same business outside the city do not deal with. One major challenge of starting an agriculture business in Lagos is the availability of land. Real estate has claimed most of the space in the city and it rather difficult to go large-scale. Outside Lagos, however, there are better opportunities to make it big – either via animal farming or crop farming. You have cheaper labour, availability of land, reduces taxes e.t.c.

What are your thoughts? What other career options can one explore outside of Lagos?

Photo Credit: © Milkos | Dreamstime