Davido’s Fia, Sola Sobowale’s Wedding Party, Toke Mankiwa’s TokeMoments, AY’S comedy series or Mo Abudu’s EbonyLifeTV. These are just a few elements that spice up the Nigerian Entertainment Industry. Everyone’s spare time would kinda be boring if they don’t use it to watch a funny Nollywood movie, listen to the latest hits of a singer, be inspired by a great talk show or laugh their heart out with an awesome comedy series. Interestingly, Nigerian Entertainment doesn’t only serve the purpose of having a great impact. It can also generate a great wealth. 

You can bear me witness. Not all youngsters want to bury their head on books or have a white-collar job. The dreams of young ones today are mainly related to the “stage”, the “spotlight”, the “dancefloor” or “the cameras”! Even in school, after or before classes you would see a small group of people deliberating on the next concert they will organize on a Saturday at the university. Trust me, I was part of it! 

We are going to discuss about the 5 hottest jobs in the Nigerian Entertainment Industry that young people, with vigorous blood running through their veins, are seeking after.

Music artists

Some boys and girls are not just satisfied with singing in the bathroom. They see themselves facing an audience. An audience that claps for them, dance for them, sing with them. They see themselves on a stage. That’s why they don’t just enjoy Wizkid, Olamide , Phyno or Flavour. They want to be like them. They aspire to sing better than them. They want to create their own brand and those music artists on top only make them believe in themselves. So if you have a killer voice, or are an awesome songwriter, why don’t you give music a try and listen to YOUR songs being played on the radio stations? How about that?

Actors/ Actresses

Hahahahaha! Do you know why I am laughing? I can’t seem to forget all the scenes of Sola Sobowale at the “Wedding Party”. I mean it’s was hilarious. Not just the Wedding Party! Jenifa’s diary, Husbands of Lagos, Lekki Wives. Every movie or series is liked by millions of Nigerians. They are so many talented boys and girls that you think the study of theatre arts was written for them. Genevieve Nnaji, Mofe Damijo, Ini Edo, Great Mama G , Van vicker, Mercy Johnson. Do you see all these actors and actresses as just idols or do you see yourself replacing their throne and become an irresistible actor/actress? Food for thought.

Comedians

Lol! Lmfao! Laughing emojis. This is how you reply when you see a comedy show or video on Twitter or Instagram. And you don’t stop there. You will download the video, store it on your phone and sharing with others in the physical or electronic world! You know why? Because it’s makes you laugh! It’s entertaining! AY, Bovi,or Gordons have a way of turning a usual daily routine into a hilarious video shoot. You may be among those ones would have this special charisma of making people laugh, divert people’s attention from crying to laughing. Perhaps you are even among those would are funny but also innovative enough to be build your own brand. The last one kinda reminds me of Lasisisi Elenu! HAHA! This guy uses snapchat to make himself look funnier with the jokes he cracks. He is saturating Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Question is: Are you good enough to make money out of mind-blowing jokes? Food for thought!

Talk shows

Women, aren’t you feeling inspired when Toke Makinwa tells you that you can be a sharp babe when you invest in YOURSELF? Aren’t you motivated to take your career to the next level when classy business women or celebrities are being interviewed? Aren’t you touched to hear the success stories of womanhood? Aren’t you curious to view the lifestyle of others like BBNaija? Of course you are! That it is why you take your time to watch these substantial videos of people’s lives and blessings. You feel you can be a part of it. You feel you can actually have more than they do. You might as well as want to OWN a show that brings these stories to limelight. If you are, why don’t give it a try and own a show that bridges celebrities and successful people with fans and followers.

Lifestyle Bloggers/ Vloggers

And here we are. These are interesting individuals who either disseminate latest news on business, politics and gossips such as Linda Ikeji, Olorisupergal, Bellanaija or they are the ones that randomly select mind-blowing topics to deliberate, like Cruise Africa. There are others in the YouTube industry who video shoot themselves while talking about matters that trend, like TokeMoments. If you are a good content writer with an interest on a specific field , why don’t you give it a thought and start blogging or vlogging?. 


The buttom line is : DO YOUR THING!  Nobody is going to do it for you. You are the one to bring your dreams to reality! You are the one that will confront life and stay celebrated. You are the ONE! Cruise Africa!

source:businessonline.com

Who doesn’t love mummy’s well-cooked pounded yam and soup? I definitely know that everyone was waiting for the period of festivities to eat jollof or fried rice and enjoy every yummy second of the holidays. Some Nigerians enjoy cooking more than eating. Some of them have amazed people with their dishes so much that they would want to take their passion to a professional level? Question is: Are you one of them? Yeah! Are you unconventionally interested to be chef or a food stylist and don’t know how? Are you aspiring to become a die-hard restaurateur but you are not sure of the career prospects. Let’s take one thing at a time! Ok?

Who is a Chef?

According to Wikipedia, a chef is a trained professional cook who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. There are different terms that use the word chef in their titles, and deal with specific areas of food preparation, such as the sous-chef, who acts as the second-in-command in a kitchen, or the chef de partie, who handles a specific area of production.

For example, the Chef de cuisine or head chef, is in charge of all activities related to the kitchen, which usually includes menu creation, management of kitchen staff, ordering and purchasing of inventory, controlling raw material costs and plating design. 

The Sous-Chef de Cuisine (under-chef of the kitchen) is the second-in-command and direct assistant of the Chef de Cuisine. This person may be responsible for scheduling the kitchen staff, or substituting when the head chef is off-duty. 

The Chef de partie also known as a "station chef" is in charge of a particular area of production. 

And the Commis (Chef) is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the station's or range's responsibilities and operation. 

So you see there is a rank or a ladder of promotion that an aspiring chef needs to climb to reach any of the aforementioned positions in the kitchen. Every chef needs to have someone to look up to for motivation, inspiration and consistency. There are many of them in the Nigerian Hospitality industry but we will mention just 4 of them. Please do well to follow them on Instagram. Ok? Let’s go.

Tolu Eros (Cheferos)

Michael Elegbede

He is celebrated for showing his culinary skills in preparing certain meals from the same land he visits for a number of people is one chef we can never get tired of following. His good looks and Afro hair is one thing we noticed his followers can never get enough of. 

Ronke Edoho /9jafoodieRonke Edoho

Popularly known as 9jafoodie has effortlessly gained the love and trust of so many Nigerians with her culinary style of cookery which focuses mostly on Nigerian dishes such as Egusi soup, jollof rice, ofada rice, efo riro amongst others. She is one of the best Nigerian food bloggers, and also happens to be a certified nutrition and weight loss specialist who has helped lots of people improve their well-being by creating easy follow recipes for their everyday lives.

Gbugbemi Fregene 

Chef Fregs is one of the best in the list chefs Nigeria has ever produced with his mind-blowing expertise in the culinary game. His passion impelled his to educate himself  to Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Paris to learn the art of cooking. He runs a private dining and catering business called Chef Fregz which focuses on fine dining style food that incorporates flavors that this side of the world understands.
So there you go! Going though their posts on social media platforms can revitalize your zeal for culinary arts and keep it unquenchable. Now how do you get to acquire culinary mastery on your own?

How to begin?

• LEARN HOW TO SHOP

If you have the luxury of a local farmers market near you then make certain you go there regularly and check out the produce. Many times they will offer more variety than a supermarket. While you visit the market, be sure to get friendly with the owner and workers there. Ask questions and let them know more about you and your desire to learn to cook and become a Chef. More often then not, they will be happy to talk to you about the produce and other products they sell. 

• YOUR EQUIPMENT. 

If you are going to learn how to cook at home, you are going to need the right cooking equipment. Now don't be mislead into believing that you need the top of the line everything and every gadget under the sun, in order to be a Chef. This is simply not the case, but you still need to invest some money into buying equipment. For your cookware, get yourself a basic set including a fry pan, a sauce pan, a saute pan and a stock pot. You may also want something for grilling. A cast iron grill works quite nicely. The next thing you will want is a good set of knives. I wouldn't go cheap in this department. Knives are a Chef's best friend, so invest in a good set. If you buy a cheap set of knives, they will go dull very quickly and a dull knife can be dangerous. 

• EXPERIMENT 

Are you a picky eater? Not into certain types of foods? if this is you then you will need to develop different taste buds if you want to be a successful Chef.  So in order to understand how to cook with these items, you have to be willing to at least try them.

• LEARNING RESOURCES

There are a ton of learning resources available to today's Chef. Everything from books to videos are within everyone's reach. Start out with a few good books on French Cuisine. Or in a local scenario, you could try the Nigerian Cuisine. It  is a good place to start because of its influence on other cuisines. Do not simply skim through these books until you find a recipe that interests you. You should read these books from start to finish, including the introduction, appendix and glossary. Try out as many different recipes as you can. This will give you a well rounded and rewarding learning experience.

• COOK FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS 

Once you have been cooking for awhile, you will eventually want to cook for people right? It can get kind of lonely eating by yourself. Besides, cooking for friends and family is great practice and an excellent way to get feedback. Here is what you do. Find a few of your friends or family and let them know you would like to have a dinner party (try to scrounge up 10 bucks a head to help pay for the ingredients). Tell them it is your first time cooking for a group of people and that you would like their honest feedback. Come up with your own menu of dishes that you would like to prepare, just like a restaurant. Then work out any mistakes you may have made and try it again in a month or two.

Culinary Schools and courses you can patronize.

Of course, if you are certain about taking a  career path in the world of culinary arts, you should try upgrading your skills in any of the following schools.

• Cmk culinary 39 Osolo Way, Isolo, Lagos
• Culinary Academy Nigeria 50 Raymond Njoku St, Ikoyi, Lagos
• Culinary School 22 Unity Road Ilorin, Ilorin 
• Chef's Academy Abuja 1372b embu street, off WuseII, Aminu Kano Cres, Abuja, Nigeria
• Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School 18 Fola Jinadu Cres, Pedro, Lagos
• Crumbles Chef Academy Chevy View Estate, 40 Udeco Medical Road Off Chevron Road, Lekki Penninsula II 
• FOOD PERFECT Institute of Culinary Arts No 59c, Old Aba Road, Rumuobiakani, Port Harcourt.

If you are any of these strategic metropolitan cities in Nigeria exploit everything they got to offer. They are resourceful and promising. Be A killer Chef. Cook your passion out to the world and you will be celebrated. Stay tuned. Cruise Africa.

  Can you name one cool job that “makes things happen” for the travel industry? What is one profession that has untied the bond of stress from tourist and travel businesses? Yes, you got it! That’s a travel agent! A travel agent is a retailer that liaises with tourism and travel related enterprises such as hotels, airlines, cruise lines, attraction centers, car rentals, railways and tour operators in a bid to offer exceptional services to business and leisure travelers. Those aforementioned businesses offer a commission fee for acting as brokers. Travel Agents can organize leisure and business trips which may include holiday/honeymoon packages or international business conferences. Those guys are working hard to ensure that clients are strain-free from tedious and unpleasant process of booking. That’s why they are vested with the responsibility of offering an up-to-date travel advice to clients who want to leave the borders of their home residence. 

What do they do?

I will list 6 functions that describe the travel agent’s profession:

1. Travel Information:
As earlier stated, a travel agent provides updated information about the destination inquired. They must possess exceptional communication skills that would make the client feel at home. For a complete set of qualification, learning a foreign language is another prowess to bask in.

2. Ticketing:
Travel agents release tickets from different transportation modes such air transport, rail transport and the likes. Such a task is barely plain sailing as the air ticket fares could fluctuate in an unpleasant manner and reasonable prices have to be set.

3. Preparation of Itineraries:
 All modes of transportation aren’t always meant for all destinations even if there is a provision for it. That’s why the agents inform their clients for the safest and most pleasant route and mode of transportation. 

4. Provision of Foreign currencies:
The process of getting money in another currency for your trip can be exhausting. The travel agent comes into play and saves that stress from the potential traveler.

5. Planning and Costing Tours:
Yeah well this can be kind of tedious and at the same time fun. This is the part where your agent has to plan your trips and develop packages that are congruous with individual requirements. Packages are composed with different items of consideration such as transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, conference hall booking etc. After finalizing the arrangements, agents would still have to create awareness among interested individuals or even instill the interest on the audience being targeted.

6. Insurance:
Insurance companies work hand in hand with travel agents to insure unwelcoming accidents or theft. Its serves as bulwark of protection and keeps the trip safe without gargantuan losses incurred.

Types of Travel Agents

1. Independent Travel Agents
Independent travel agents are the ones that customize the travel itineraries themselves for their clients in order to include tours and activities that interest them. They would highly recommended distribution technology systems. For that process, they could make 15 to 25% of profit for booking your activities

2. Online Travel Agents
The ease of internet access has made travel agency easier to manage. Through the Redzy’s online booking system technology, they can conveniently create packages that include transportation, accommodations, excursions, tours and activities. All that through the Net.

3. Tour Operators
Tour Operators are specialized in arranging the best tours and activities in any region. They are even the wholesalers of the business in which the sell their packages to retailers (travel agents). They are superbly qualified in recommending excursions to travel clients. 
   
4. Global Distribution Systems
Online and offline agents will utilize global distribution systems in order to automatically reserve available tours and activities in a particular destination. They guarantee easy online booking for your activities and tours. Global distribution systems, such as Amadeus, Sabre or Redzy will help you increase your online distribution and secure more bookings for your tours and activities.

Entrepreneurs in the Travel Business

 The online travel agency system has been religiously implemented in Nigeria. As a country that is consistent with IT innovations, the Internet has been a steady path for travel agents to approach the travel needs of the society. Some of the renowned companies that are pioneering in this sector are:

WAKANOW

Source: picodi

As Nigeria’s first OTA (Online Travel Agent), Wakanow was established in 2008 and for the past 9 years, their mission is to bridge the gaps of the Travel Industry and offer cheap flight to all destination as well as accommodation, visa procurement services and different special package for honeymoon and pilgrimage program. Wakanow has grown to become one of Africa’s leading travel booking portals, with physical presence in Nigeria, UAE, Ghana, UK, US and aggressive plans to open new offices across Africa.

TRAVELSTART

Source: travelstart

  The second biggest travel agency in Nigeria has dominated the industry in different venues of the country, such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Unite Arab Emirates, Turkey, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,Kenya and Egypt. When you get to their site and search for flights, you'll get results from all the major international airlines and low-cost carriers, neatly displayed in one table – lowest prices first of course - so that you can compare costs with ease and find that perfect ticket that works with your schedule and budget. The same goes with your hotel and rental car reservations.

TRAVELBETA

Source: Travelbeta

  Travelbeta is one of the few travel agencies that offer promotional packages. Unlike other online travel agencies, they run promo from time to time and they don’t wait for airline promo before making their customer happy. According them, Travelbeta is the brainchild of a group of passionate professionals with backgrounds in the Hospitality, Business Services, Logistics, Finance, and Communications industries who all possess a genuine love for travel. Through its network of partners both locally and internationally, and its commitment to keeping customer s informed, Travelbeta is uniquely positioned not only to deliver exceptional value to customers, but also to offer all travelers an experience they are unlikely to get anywhere else.

JUMIA TRAVEL

Source:qed.ng

  Former Jovago, Jumia Travel is an online travel agency that is streamlined in hotel booking, allowing you to get the best prices for more than 25,000 hotels in Africa and more than 200,000 hotels around the world. Jumia Travel’s mission is to bring every bit of available accommodation online, and to create the easiest and cheapest way for customers to book it. At Jumia Travel, there are hundreds of travel specialists constantly in touch with our customers and their offices are located in different parts of Africa and beyond!

How to start your business as a Travel agent?

  Do you like the thought of opening your own travel agency? Well, I would’t be surprised! The travel and tour agency is a fast growing business and lucrative too, especially when you follow the proper trend and procedures. So what do you have to do? Hmm..
  First of all, you need to possess superb communication skills and be a people’s person. Problem solving and the art of conviction should be your greatest resources as a professional. Next, you need to decide your target audience. If you want to be a local travel agent, then you would register and meet the legal requirements of CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission). If you want a broader audience and want to be an international travel agent, you will have to register with IATA, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that controls and regulates air travel around the world in over 275 countries, and make tight policies regarding air travel. 
   While learning the trade you could as well, pull some wealth of knowledge from other travel agents and take up some IATA courses (listed on their website) simultaneously. The start- up capital can be enormous, I must say. Getting an office space that attracts potential travelers is a hard but necessary task! And lastly, getting insurance for your business should be considered because it helps to boost your business and create a good image of your brand. And some clients would welcome it if their agents that are insured or their staffs insured for future occurrence.

Do Travel Agents Matter?

The answer is yes! Even though the travel institutions like hotels and airlines have online booking directives, travel agents are still invaluable. Why? For a number of reasons! Primarily, Travel Agents are “All Inclusive”. They ensure a comprehensive travel package with all the services a client would need. They match online prices and have rates that you don’t. Travel Agents save your time of research due to their specialized expertise. They offer priceless advice and offer affordable payment plans. So do you want to consult a travel agent the next time you have a trip? Do you want to own your own travel agency? You would be at the right place!  

  Mandies Cocktails, Eventi Cocktails, Cocktails In and Out, Shakersand Ice. These and many more cocktail businesses are flooding the shores of Lagos and other places in Nigeria. The industry of event management and hospitality has imbued the art of mixology and cocktail mixing. When you log into Instagram, search “cocktails Nigeria”.  You will see the number of cocktail vendors that display their work on their pages. Their pages are depicted with colorful and refreshing drinks. So what is the Cocktail Business all about? How does it affect Nigeria? Who are the pioneering entrepreneurs that are pushing the business forward? Let’s see what cocktail is all about!

What is a Cocktail?

  Simply put, a cocktail is a mixed alcoholic drink. A Cocktail is mixed either as one type of alcohol with juices, as a soft drink and other fruits or as multiple alcoholic drinks with juices or ice tea. Drinking is fashionable and trendy in today’s world. As a result, cocktails and what we’ve come to know as “mocktails” are often confused for each other.
  Mocktails are any mixed drinks that don’t contain alcohol. The name “mocktail” is derived from the word “mock” meaning to “imitate or mimic”. Mocktails are imitations of cocktails in the sense that they seem similar to them, but do not have alcohol or any other spirits.

  Today, when we refer to an alcoholic mixed drink, a cocktail is any beverage that contains two or more ingredients if at least one of those ingredients contains alcohol. It is said that cocktail was derived from the French word “coquetier”, referring to an eggcup-type measure.
  Here in Nigeria, event planning and management is increasingly part of people’s lives. Wedding ceremonies, birthday parties or even business conferences include a buffet to lighten up the ambiance of occasions like this. Cocktails and Mocktails make up a part of the menu into today’s entertainment.   
 So Nigerians are definitely lovers of leisure and crave for innovation into their hospitality activities. There are a lot of venues in which drinks have been implemented severally. Mixologists are event vendors on demand. Lounge Cafes and Restaurants employ the services of Mixologists. Even families and friends include cocktails and mocktails to excite their get-togethers. 
 Interestingly, most of the entrepreneurs that innovate in the industry are women. Yes, I am damn serious. Women with educational and professional experience have set the steps for young businessmen and women to engage into the skill of beverage making. Let’s get inspired from some of them.

Entrepreneurs in the Cocktail Business

Lara Rawa

Source: Pulse.ng

“Cocktail is all about lifestyle.” That is what Lara Rawa says, the founder of Eventi Cocktails.  As a certified  lawyer by profession, she holds a Master’s Degree in International Business Law from Queen Mary University of London. However her passion for Cocktails and event planning prodded her to follow her dreams.She is currently the drink stylist for Baileys Nigeria Diageo Brand. When it comes to cocktail making in Lagos, the name of Lara Rawa rings a sounding bell and she is known for creating distinctive cocktails and custom mixology for luxury events, conferences, wedding, social and corporate events. Read more on Vanguard.

Olufunke Awobokun 

Olufunke Awobokun is the Chief Mixologist and CEO of Cocktails In and Out Limited (CIO), a company that has steadily carved a niche for itself in the industryand has a mobile cocktail bar services with branches in Lagos & Abuja. Olufunke Awobokun is a mixologist and restaurateur. She is the founder, initiator and pioneer of the project "Cocktails 2 Live 4" and is also the brain behind the Tasters club which is a networking event aimed at promoting and enlightening the Nigerian consumers about the fine art of mixology and generally promoting the cocktail culture. In 2008, she became a certified a mixologist and bartender from the Shaker Bar School. 


Titi Oshodi 

Titi Oshodi is the Managing Partner of T-Eye Dot. She is an experiential marketer with over a decade experience in marketing, sales and business development. Delving into this feat was borne out of her increased curiosity and interest for cocktails and beverages and zeal to share in the intrinsic value creating unique brand of drink mixes. She holds a certificate in Bartending/Mixology from Liquid Lab New York and Liquid Library Bartending Academy, Lagos.

Olubunmi Mise 

Olunbunmi Mise is the Chief executive Officer of Mises Cocktails. She is a certified Bartender and Mixologist. She has a certificate in Bartending and Mixology from Spronks Boisson Palais Lagos and Molecular Mixology School, London. She recently obtained a WSET Level II Award in Wine and Spirits from the East London Wine School in 2015.

Olajumoke Michael-Ojo 


A Shaker UK certified International Bartender and Wine Specialist  has penned her success as she has founded Mandies Cocktails. After working for 7 years as a human resource consultant at KPMG in Nigeria, Jumoke ventured into the cocktail business. Citing a gap in the industry, whereby cocktails were not properly made and very little attention was given to presentation details, she decided to change that. Today she owns one of the most successful Cocktail and beverage brand in the industry, known for exceptional quality and outstanding presentation.

Kenechukwu Odera Nkwontah                  


This is the man that has broken the trend of  female entrepreneurship. As the Chief Exectuive Officer of Shakersand Ice, his cocktails and beverage company was established in 2007. His spirited career as a Mixologist and bartender is fuelled by an active desire to be an authority in bartending and advocate for cocktails and mixology in Nigeria. 

Feeling Inspired? So you do! True, this skill is an exhilarating skill to acquire. It’s creative and pretty much attractive. People thrive in it and there is still a gap to be filled with passionate beverage making. But how can you do as a vibrant, young Nigerian or African aspirant start up a business? Is it highly capital-intensive?  What skills do you need?

How to start your own cocktail business?
 There are institutes in Nigeria that are specialized in the mixing of beverage, cocktails, mocktails or milkshakes. For example, Mix ‘n’ Bake School is a certified academy that means to train people into smoothies, punches and flips. They even go as far as offering pastry classes. They are located in Ojodu, Maryland and Abuja. You can also become a professional mixologist with the Blossom Bartending School. There you can learn over 75 types of smoothies and cocktails. 


 There are many more academies you can consult. The fee is pending on the location and courses they offer. Once you are done with that, you mix and invent different mocktails. Advertise your skills on the greatest platform of promotion and exposure - the social media. Instagram and pininterest are the best venues to take picture and showcase. Event planners would definitely employ your services. And who knows! If you want to excel in the industry, you could as well get a profound training and be a certified wine specialist like other veterans in the country. The establishment of the business would require the deployment of  mixing equipment, so finance is a parameter to consider. 

 The importance of cocktails in the Nigerian lifestyle cannot be overemphasized. It’s hard these days to find parties organized by high net worth individuals overlooking this essential item. This is a business idea you can start with as little as N20,000. So what’s up? Would you like to be like Jumoke, Lara or Olunfunke? Do you want to be a business man or woman with class, niche or creativity? Don’t think twice! Go for it! The sky is just the beginning, not the limit. Cruise Africa Rocks!!!