The changing career landscape

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favourite authors. Anyone who has read Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun or her very engaging third novel, Americanah, would agree that the young lady is one of Africa’s finest living writers and a strong voice for the new generation.
Interestingly, Chimamanda, daughter of an Emeritus Professor of Statistics and former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, whose mother was the first female Registrar of the University, had enrolled as a medical student at the behest of her father and actually studied Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for a year and six months before she made the huge switch, landing on a totally different career path.
In an interview on the CNN African Voices a while back, Adichie said she got good grades in medical school but left to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. And a write of renown she has become. She admitted she would have been a most miserable doctor because medicine was simply not her calling. The rest, as they say, is history because Chimamanda ranks among the very best in today’s literary field.
Only yesterday, I read the very interesting story of Ifeoluwa Florence Otedola, who goes by the alias Cuppy, in Thisday on Sunday. Florence, daughter of billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola and Nana Otedola who runs the upscale dry-cleaning shop, Garment Care, is, wait for it... a UK based celebrity Disc Jockey (DJ)! The granddaughter of the former Lagos State governor, Sir Michael Otedola, is a final year Business Management student at the King’s College London. She’s big in London and also plays regularly in Dubai and Paris. In the course of my research on her career choice or passion as you may call it, I stumbled on her debut video entitled, I love my country, I no go lie, featuring Tunji Oyelana and wow, was I surprised? Florence has found her niche, and quite early, too.
In the days of yore, it would have been unthinkable for the likes of Florence to follow the rare career path she has charted for herself. Her mother would have sounded like: “Why have you done this to us, Ifeoluwa? Where did we go wrong? We gave you everything, trained you in Ivy-league schools – for the best education that money can get, gave you a dream life and a good name to boot, then why would you choose to make us the laughing stock of our the world? Shame!!!”.  Dear Florence, you already have a fan in me. I salute your courage for following your dream and making a huge success of it. You go girl! I also thank your parents for respecting your individuality and career choice.   
Olubankole Wellington, better known as Banky W is another great entertainer that typifies today’s changing career trajectory. This R&B artiste and songwriter actually earned a degree in Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States. While studying in college, however, he won the “Albany Idol’ competition which catapulted him into spotlight. Today, the Empire mates Entertainment (EME) record label owner is living big on his passion and huge endorsement deals.
Elohor Aisien is the CEO of Beth Modelling Agency which is perhaps the foremost professional modelling agency in Nigeria. Elohor, a former beauty queen, has taken her passion for modelling and the business of beauty to new heights and is currently the Creative Director for The Miss Nigeria beauty pageant. The energetic young lady has also worked her way to becoming the only franchisee of Elite Model Look reputed as the largest and most glamorous model search in the world.
Our young men and women are blazing the trail in their career choices. How many people know that Uche Jombo, an actress, script writer and movie producer, studied Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Calabar or that Omawumi appears not to be in a hurry to go to law school since completing a degree in law a few years back? And do you also know that Dr. Sid (Sidney Esiri) is also a dentist?
Obasa Olaleye’s name may not ring a bell but her company’s, The City Cobbler (formerly, The Lady Cobbler) does, for many in the Lagos area. From wanting to be a lawyer, through studying geography and regional planning in the university, Obasa became a cobbler of note catering to a diverse clientele from CEOs to housewives, and of course, the Lagos high society. From a humble beginning in shoes, bags and luggage repairs, the company has metamorphosed into a shoe manufacturing company. Talk about making a success of one’s passion! 
What about the first lady mechanic in Nigeria, Sandra Aguebor Ekpeuroh? Since turning her dream into a source of income, Sandra has gone beyond fending for herself to training and empowering young ladies in auto mechanic professional wealth creation, developing sustainable partnerships with corporations, governments, colleges universities and even private citizens.
In the same vein, Tosan Jemide of the Cakes by Tosan, fame appears to have redefined the sugar craft of cake making. Recently, Tosan unveiled the “Tallest cake in Africa,” a-28feet master creation inspired by his love for arts, crafts, passion for Nigeria and the desire to blaze the trail in his field.
People are making money on their own terms and loving it the world over. Credible examples abound of individuals who rediscovered themselves and, in the process hit fame and fortune, while simply following their passion. And more than ever before, people are redefining the career landscape and reaching for their dream jobs, not minding whose ox is gored.  They realised they had their lives to live and a mission to accomplish and jumped ship, as it were. Life is too short to spend pursuing another man’s dreams
Gone are the days of taking on medicine, law, engineering, aviation or some other seemingly fancy profession, in spite of a lack of interest and perhaps inadequate capacity, and having to struggle through it all in order to please your parent or to maintain a respectable facade before society. The unwritten rule for job pursuit in today’s global village appears to read like: “drop what does not work and rediscover yourself. You only have one life to live, make the most of it”, and, see you at the top!
Okay, who or what did I miss? Mark you, this write up is by no means exhaustive. We’d be honoured to share your Eureka moments. Have a great week... everyone and God bless Nigeria.