02/05/2026
Did you listen to the 40 year old CEO of Moniepoint, Tosin Eniolorunda speak at the Platform yesterday?
He made a statement that didn't let me sleep all night. Not as if I was entirely surprised. But it once again stirred the difficult truth for our young people.
He said they had over 500 vacancies they could not fill because they struggled to find enough Nigerians qualified enough to fill those roles.
Think about that for a moment.
In a country where millions are looking for jobs, a company still cannot find enough qualified people to employ.
We are talking about a company willing to pay millions as monthly salary for those roles.
That is painful.
According to him, there are several reasons for this, including:
👉Our broken educational system,
👉Social media distraction,
👉The hookup lifestyle,
👉The Yahoo lifestyle, and
👉A creeping culture of laziness.
If you are someone who pays attention you already know that this is just the simple truth.
Let's start with the educational system.
80% of people gaining admission to the university today cannot pass SS1 exam let alone WAEC and JAMB.
Their parents bought the results and admission for them.
Now, when they get into the university, what are they being talk? Very outdated and irrelevant curriculum.
Talk about social media distraction.
In the last two days, I have seen many youths busy looking for videos of whoever in 3sum. You see a jobless graduate going from blog to blog, from post to post, looking for s€x tape - very unfortunate.
This morning, it is Portable and the other one that all of them are talking about. Celebrity lifestyle is a serious threat to personal growth.
Skits on ny@$h and bress get millions of views, while no one cares to read intellectual content.
Parents now pay money for Yahoo boys to coach their children.
I can go on and on to show you how true Tosin's presentation is. But let me hold on here.
And honestly, this problem does not start when people become adults.
It starts from childhood. It starts from teenage age.
It starts from what children are exposed to.
What they celebrate.
What they consume daily.
What they are trained to value.
Many parents are preparing children only to pass exams and for fun.
But the world has changed.
The future will reward children who can think, create, communicate, solve problems, use technology, manage money, and build things.
Yet many teenagers of secondary school age and even undergraduates today spend hours watching prank videos, endless comedy skits, gossip content, and random entertainment that adds nothing to their growth.
A teenager can name 30 celebrities. He can mention all the hit songs released by Davido and Flavour.
But cannot explain what an asset is.
A child can spend 5 hours on a phone…
But cannot confidently use a computer.
A child can memorize song lyrics…
But has never tried selling anything, creating anything, or solving a simple real-life problem.
A 27 year old graduate knows all the comedy shows happening this year, but does not even know the event called "The Platform".
Are we seeing the danger?
We are raising children in the middle of the greatest information age in human history…
Yet many are growing up without direction, curiosity, discipline, or valuable skills.
That is why Kidpreneurship matters.
Because the goal is not just to make children start businesses, but to divert the direction of their thinking.
The goal is to raise children who can survive, think independently, create opportunities, and compete globally.
Children who know that:
• Money is earned through value.
• Skills matter.
• Character matters.
• Discipline matters.
• Creativity matters.
• Consistency matters.
Let me simplify it for parents.
If you want to prepare your child for the future.
Children who will not be unemployment casualties.
Children who will be ready for global opportunities like the one Moniepoint advertised. Then:
1. Watch what they consume online.
Entertainment is good, but it must not become their entire life.
2. Introduce them early to money conversations.
Teach saving, value creation, and simple business thinking.
3. Let them learn practical skills early.
Communication, computer use, problem-solving, selling, creativity.
4. Encourage curiosity.
A child who asks questions is preparing to lead.
5. Teach discipline and responsibility.
Talent without discipline rarely survives adulthood.
6. Reward productivity, not just grades.
The future belongs to builders, not just memorizers.
The future is already here.
And one day, companies will again have thousands of empty seats looking for competent people to fill them.
The question is…
Will our children be prepared for those seats?
Copied © Kachi Ogbonna
