Nigerians’ hustling niche critical for economic development – Lawson

Michael Lawson, the regional recruitment director at Heriot-Watt University has emphasised that Nigeria’s high hustling expertise can be leveraged to develop the country’s economy and build a sustainable business ecosystem.

Lawson speaking at the inaugural education conference with the theme: “Global Study Conference: Innovating Education for the Future”, organised by SI-Global in Lagos said entrepreneurship is the heart of every country’s economic development.

He said that one of the most impressive things about travelling around Nigeria, especially in the streets of Lagos, the country’s economic heartbeat, is that everyone is a hustler, trying to make a living which can be used to develop the economy.

“Nigeria can leverage its hustling expertise to develop its economy,” he said.

Lawson reiterated that Nigerians’ hustling spirit, trying to create something and make ends meet, can be converted to economic gains by harnessing the individual’s potential.

“Everyone in Nigeria is hustling; everyone is trying to create something. Every Nigerian is always trying to add values to make something for himself or herself, and the family,” he noted.

However, he said the challenge is how to move from just being hustlers to becoming investors, creating jobs for others, and establishing a business ecosystem that helps small businesses thrive.

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“Nigerians should strive to go beyond being hustlers to becoming investors creating jobs for others, creating wealth even when are not in office. The country needs to create builders, and/or builders of the business ecosystem to develop its potential,” he counselled.

“There are riches in niches, there is money in Nigeria if the country can optimise the little niches it has, such as the teeming youth population, and other advantages,” he adds.

Nigeria has the largest population of youth in the world and about 70 percent of the population is under 30.

Unlike Nigeria, Lawson said that in the United Kingdom, street hustling is rare, because the citizens do not have such a skill.

“We don’t necessarily see people hustling in the UK, you know in the UK, we pride ourselves as nations of shopkeepers, that was some 20 to 40 years ago,” he said.

Lawson maintained that the hustling expertise as obtainable in Nigeria boils down to people trying to make out something for themselves, and not necessarily to build business empires.

Consequently, he advocates that Nigerians should learn to convert their hustling expertise to creating a business ecosystem, citing SI-UK, as a business ecosystem built to support small entrepreneurs, which enables the owners to make money for themselves even while sleeping.

“I think that is the kind of business ecosystem that’s missing in Nigeria is such that allows development banks help businesses to stand, hence, the problem is how can to help the hustlers move from being entrepreneurs to becoming investors,” he said.

Considering Nigeria’s growing population, Lawson explained that one area the country can boost its economy is through the agriculture sector.

“Agriculture is the backbone of every country’s economic development because there are a lot more opportunities in the sector,” he said.

However, he stressed that the kind of agricultural business needed in Nigeria to boost the economy is the industrial-based agriculture system as obtainable in many developed countries that gives room for high yields and makes things more efficient.