Q1) Tell us about yourself & what you studied:
I am Oritségbèmi Emore the CEO of MXVO, a luxury digital marketing agency based in Nice, France. I am also one of the founders of WE WANT THE YOUTHS TO KNOW, a non governmental organization that specializes in bridging the gap between young Nigerian creatives and their respective industries, through masterclasses and conferences with industry experts.
I’m 24 years and I recently graduated with a first class honors degree from a Masters Program in Digital Strategy at the prestigious Université Côte d’Azur in Nice, France. During my undergraduate years, I alternated between my studies and my passion for photography, creating my company MXVO in 2015, which has gradually turned into my source of income. In 2019, I won the L’belle young person of the year award, handed over to me by the ambassador of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria in Paris, France.
Q2) Can you tell us a little more about your organization?
WE WANT THE YOUTHS TO KNOW (Wwtytk) was founded in 2017 by myself, Oritségbèmi EMORE and OluwaBusayo OKUSI as a way to strengthen the African creative youth community through career education and creating pathways to success.
In Africa, millions of young entrepreneurs and SMEs fail due to a lack of guidance, proper entrepreneurial structures, financial literacy, and an over dependence on government institutions and infrastructures. Many amongst these African Youths find themselves in one or two entrepreneurial endeavors like photography, technological development, music, the fine and applied arts, videography, fashion, makeup artistry, to name a few. We believe if every youth in Africa has access to education, the problems of unemployment, chaos, immortality, and poverty shall be eradicated.
Since inception, WWTYTK has become the largest Social Learning, Networking and Youth Capacity Building Initiative in West Africa. This event is always a great success, thanks to the support of some of our partners such as Canon, Google, Total, The French embassy in Nigeria, and important African financial institutions like Zenith Bank, and Polaris Bank. Through the event, we have helped over 15,000 young entrepreneurs network and improve their soft and digital skills through free training.
Q3) How did the idea of your startup come up?
WWTYTK was born as a result of multiple conflicts between the Nigerian police force and young creatives in Nigeria.
Living in France, makes me miss my country Nigeria even more. Anytime I am away for a certain period of time, there is this sort of attraction that pulls me back home. This was exactly what happened in 2017. I stay with my parents who live in Lagos state, which is known to be the mega city of Nigeria and the whole of Africa.
On a particular day during the trip, I took a stroll around the city center. Equipped with my canon 550D and one mission in mind: freeze time, and capture beautiful moments.
The adventure was interrupted when a police officer tapped my back and told me to hand over my camera, stating my offence to be: « taking pictures in a public area ». I refused and explained that I was just a student expressing his passion for art. The officer refused to listen, arrested me and highlighted that I could be part of an extremist terrorist group that is prevalent in Nigeria taking pictures in order to plan an attack on the city.
After patiently waiting, the officer in command set me free, but warned me to stay careful and watchful. This experience started a spark in me for change.
Prior to my incident, my colleague Busayo Okusi also passionate about photography had found himself at the back of a police van because he was taking pictures too. We both knew that something needed to be done. We couldn’t afford to sit down and just complain. Action needed to be taken.
Few weeks later we tested the waters by organizing the first networking conference / exhibition for photographers in Lagos, Nigeria entitled : #WeWantTheYouthsToKnow. The event was powered by the Alpha bank in Africa: Zenith Bank Plc.
At the WWTYTK networking event, high-profile entrepreneurs were invited to speak about how they were able to tackle problems related to them exercising their craft, and also share their success stories, their mistakes, and their business strategies, so as to motivate the young creatives and educate them on the paths to follow or avoid.
We see the importance of driving the economy and aiding entrepreneurs through various initiatives we want to ensure that the youth are given a platform on which they can develop and hone their skills and entrepreneurial spirit so as to become strong and confident ambassadors of Africa.
As part of the voice that empowers the African youth, we are taking an audacious step to recuperate Africa , and help the youth stand solid on their feet.
Q4) What is your secret sauce to getting to where you are?
This is a very interesting question, I have always told God that if I ever get asked, « what’s your secret « I’ll always say it’s JESUS ! And to be very honest, my secret sauce is having Jesus in my life. Being able to be grounded in faith and love, is just awesome.
If I have to be practical, here are a few secret declarations that have gotten me to where I am…
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Deuteronomy 28:12: The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain to your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.
Jeremiah 17:7-8: But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Ephesians 3: 14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Q5) What would you advise people that are currently struggling to do something with their passion?
Before giving an advice, I will first, ask them for their WHY ! Why do you want to do, what you want to do ?
What’s the goal behind ? ..better life ? Provide for your loved ones ? More freedom, geographical independence, financial liberty ?..
Actually, if you make a living helping others, you’ll always have plenty of work to do. Because, most people want more of some things (money, love, attention) and less of others (stress, anxiety, debt). If you can channel your passion towards adding or taking away something to make someone’s life better… then be prepared to get paid for it ! The quicker you understand how your skills and knowledge can be useful to others, the more likely you are to succeed.
Most times, the problem is how to start. Where to start from.. well, Friedrich Engels once said “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory,” opt for an ounce of action today ! Arianna Huffington repeatedly said « Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success !
So, if you’re struggling to do something with your passion, rethink how it can be useful to others and relaunch your project, based on your own personal mix of passions and skills.
Q6) Where do you see yourself & the organization in the next 10 years?
In 10 years, I see WWTYTK, investing in industrialization projects that will advance the African continent. Africa needs to enter the global market and the only way this can happen is through industrialization of our raw materials. WWTYTK will be working together with a very powerful global force of actors : the African Development Bank ; the World Bank ; the International Finance Corporation ; the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in order to create instruments that allow people invest smartly in Africa thus channeling finance to specific sectors we have comparative advantage in.
In 10 years, I see myself with the help of my NGO: The EMORE Foundation helping millions of humans achieve their dreams through different scholarships and several development funds. I want my legacy to be evaluated based on the number of lives we were able to transform positively.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
God – Jesus Christ – Precious Holy Spirit
Could you tell us what skills people need to have to be where you are?
CREATIVITY – DETERMINATION – DRIVE to get your people OUT OF POVERTY
If you would go back to high school & college today what would you do differently that would help you in your career right now?
I wouldn’t change a thing. I believe we should all fail forward. All my mistakes have been a stepping stone to my success and in constantly shaping me into the man I am meant to become.
For more information on the organization Oritségbèmi helped co-found, check out their website:
themillennialstage.net 