2014 Writers’ Conference holds on April 5

The maiden edition of the annual Connect Nigeria Writers’ Conference will hold on 5th April 2014.

With the theme: ‘The Business of Writing’, the conference will be held at the Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, is in partnership with the Mass Communication Department of the university.

The event, according to its organizers, is part of ConnectNigeria.com’s Corporate Social Responsibility objective to promote knowledge development and skill acquisition in Nigeria. It is primarily targeted at undergraduates aspiring for careers that require writing as its basic skill.

Managing Director of Connect Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Okafor, said writing is a technical skill and as such it is imperative that the academic community and business establishments work together to enable easy transition of students into the professional environment. He added that the benefits accrued from such are immense.

In his words, “Connect Nigeria is a socially responsible organisation and since we understand that getting gainful employment is a challenge for graduates, we cannot turn our backs against this problem. I believe there is no better time to intervene than now.

“If we can employ one or two fresh graduates from the university community, that would be fine; but that will not reduce the teeming unemployment in the country. But when we work towards sensitizing students on what they can do to sharpen their skills and improve their abilities, then their chances of getting good jobs increases. Beyond that, however, many of these students can start their own businesses and employ other people if they can merge their writing skills with entrepreneurial abilities. Our objective is to empower people with information.

“The advancement in technology today is at a stage whereby all you need to start a writing business is the skill, a computer and internet connectivity and the Writers’ Conference will provide the precise platform for the students to learn from the experts on how to improve their skills and prepare for life after graduation.

“Though originally established as a company that organises information about Nigeria with the aim of making such information easily accessible and resourceful for Nigerians, Connect Nigeria, has added another dimension to its business offering. As part of its vision to empower Nigerians with useful information, Connect Nigeria organised an e-Business Fair in October 2013, which was aimed at connecting small business owners with service providers such as banks and ICT firms on how to build and harness modern electronic technologies with their business operations. The event, which attracted over 2000 attendees, was supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Microsoft, Diamond Bank and eTranzact, among other corporate establishments.