Level Up: Enter Nigeria’s Platform Designed for Free Usage
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”… Seneca
By Zeenat Sambo
The geometrical rise in unemployment has again forced many Nigerian youth to hopeless. To make ends meet, some youths have embraced crimes and hooliganism as a means of earning a living.
To this end, two patriotic Nigerians by name Bright Ubani and Uzor Chigozie Joshua created a platform called Level Up Powered by Virtual Ease Networks Limited. This is a platform that helps to Growth Solutions and support services for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Entrepreneurs and Communities.
By addressing the unemployment challenges in rural areas, the platform established free training programs, skill acquisition, and equipped youth with relevant skills of choice to thrive regardless of their territorial boundaries.
In order to correct the perception of many that it is necessary to pay before acquiring skills, Level Up aims to spread awareness on free skills acquisition, development, and providing necessary tools so that small businesses can succeed. Level Up works to transform the lives of both downtrodden and displaced individuals in society by transforming them from zero to hero in business enterprise.
It is of interest to many youth that a solution is spreading from state to state as they move to different parts of the country to strategy a skill center and exuberantly train hundreds of youths there. Beginning in Lagos, Oworonshoki, it did instill a deep respect among beneficiaries, who now serve as a conduit to harness their potentials.
Speaking with the founders, Ubani noted that “Level Up is a platform that brings grassroots learning to the streets, a community at a time, with focus on Nigeria. The idea was formed when we realized there were many talented Nigerians who were unemployed but willing and ready to learn. So for a start, we trained about 50 people and the outcome was excellent.
“Then we decided to reach out to wider population across Nigeria. With this, we realized that the major setback for many youth was finance. They are often discouraged when they learn they are to pay for a certain skill and can’t afford such thereby killing their dreams.
“Another challenge common amongst youth is that they often gamble on skills not knowing where they will feature better. This is so important to sustain skill development in the future. Knowing this, we decide to counsel them on skill selection and training so as to help them invest wisely in their dreams and aspirations because this can determine the success.
Adding to this Joshua noted that “Nigeria has rich and poor classes, but the middle class is gradually disappearing as a result of the country’s economic difficulties. Due to the fact that most platforms charge a fee, it is difficult for people to learn basic skills, and this is where we come in.
“Online learning platforms such as Coursera, Sabi Course, U-Lesson, and others are more focused on technology, which opens one door to learning while closing another. We believe people should be able to explore their creativity and make it a source of income in the future”.
As a team with a variety of technical, business, general and creative skills, the group explained that its goals to build a platform where everyone is welcome to learn for free, equip a diverse group of people with basic civil and economic knowledge, Identify standout talents from the streets, among others, will continue to be the strength in contributing to a better Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the founders have made it possible for well-meaning Nigerians to join the flight of selfless act and give back to the communities by training. “We have received lot of feedback from youth through our social handles @levelupwithease and [email protected]. We are also looking at first week in June, Ikorodu Lagos, afterwards we going to the North in July. Everyone is welcome and we hope tutors around the country will extend their participation to our learners in growing a better literate and developed society we long for.”
