Hi Friends,
Happy Holidays!
Earlier in the week I was invited by the Netherlands consulate in Nigeria to a Youth Consultative Forum where I had the opportunity of sharing Insights into the improvement of TVET/Higher Education in Nigeria, in line with SDG 4, 5 and 8 . According to the World Economic Forum, Finland Education System is rated as the best in the world. Nigerian youth made up of about 53.7% of the population with 33% unemployment rate. The high youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is as a result of the Nigerian economy's weak capacity to absorb new entrants into the labour market. An estimated 4.5 million enter the job market annually with only 10 per cent absorption rate.
I shared this because The Enviroment has a lot to do with helping Creativity thrive and also to celebrate the Nigerian youth that have excelled despite the odds. According to the world economic forum 92% of Africa's investment in tech is won by just four countries: Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa. Nigeria housed three unicorns, the e-commerce startup Jumia, and the fintechs Interswitch and Flutterwave.
In previous letters I have been able to share Insights into the awareness of your innate creative abilities, overcoming creativity myths and I have shared personal and other case studies showcasing the approach to deploying creativity for impact creation. Today I will be sharing some of the key dimensions to Nurturing Creativity.
Creativity is a valuable and important skill that can be nurtured and developed through various means. Some of the key dimensions to nurturing creativity include:
Encouraging exploration and experimentation: Providing opportunities for people to explore and experiment with different ideas, materials, and approaches can help foster creativity. This can include things like providing access to a wide range of art supplies, offering open-ended creative challenges, and encouraging people to try new things and take risks.
Promoting a growth mindset: A growth mindset is the belief that people can develop their abilities and talents through effort and practice. Encouraging this kind of mindset can help foster creativity by allowing people to see that they have the potential to improve and grow in their creative abilities.
Providing support and encouragement: Creativity often involves taking risks and stepping outside of one's comfort zone. Providing support and encouragement to people pursuing creative endeavors can help them feel more confident and motivated to continue exploring and developing their ideas.
Fostering a collaborative environment: Creativity can often be enhanced through collaboration and sharing ideas with others. Creating an environment where people feel comfortable working together and sharing their ideas can help foster creativity.
Developing creative problem-solving skills: Creative problem-solving involves using imaginative and innovative approaches to tackle challenges and find solutions. Developing these skills can help nurture creativity by teaching people how to think outside of the box and come up with original ideas.
Overall, nurturing creativity involves providing opportunities for exploration, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment, and developing the skills and mindset necessary for creative thinking and problem-solving.
This will be my last letter for the year. I'll continue sharing daily creativity dose on telegram. You should get the next newsletter by January 7 2023, I don't know what the title will be yet. If you have any related topic you want me to write about please share. Until then continue harnessing your creative abilities for personal and societal benefits.
Wishing you, your family and friends a wonderful Christmas, and all the success and happiness you deserve in the new year.
Cheers!
'Seun
Here's the link to my presentation at the 'Youth Consultative Forum' https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JM92hA_GtFwbIi02tEPglSZmSZylE8bB/view?usp=drivesdk