By DAYO ADESULU

Bayo Omoboriowo, the 2012 National climate change photo contest winner and a graduate of Applied Chemistry at the Lagos State University who was top of his class while in school said he developed passion for photography after a four-day training he had during his National Youth Service Corps.

Inspiring the 2014 Batch A corps members at the Ipaja Orientation Camp, during Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), on the need for corps members to embrace skills acquisition during their service year, Omoboriowo said: “I got my first camera right after my graduation. I used my father’s money to buy it and I took it with me to the NYSC camp.” He disclosed that because corps members loved his photos, he made money taking photos while in the camp.

After his NYSC in 2010, Omoboriowo was nominated for various awards and won the two categories Lifestyle and Still life Nigerian Professional Photography Awards 2012. Also, during the AAF Etisalat Amateur Photography contest, he emerged 2nd place.

At the National climate change photo contest 2012, he emerged first position. He repeated the same feat in 2012 when he won the Future Awards Creative Artist of the Year.
He said, “Start something now, no matter how small. Be clear of what you want to do. Be consistent in whatever thing you do.

Payment for creativity
Do not give up on your dreams and concentrate on what you do.” Omoboriowo who charged them to be creative in whatever job they do, added that people will always pay you for your creativity. “Be courageous and continue to learn,” he said.

He told the corps members that he wanted to be a corporate guy with a white collar job wearing suits and feeling good with himself, not a photographer. He said, “ I partook in exhibitions like Niger-Delta Fototales, Rivers State and Delta Fototales Photo Exhibition, both in 2010 during my youth service year and people loved my pictures. “That marked the major beginning of my professional photography and God has since being blessing me.”

Speaking in the same vein,   Tara Fela-durotoye, owner of House of Tara International, a bridal makeup company that has employed over 100 young people across the country said, “I started the business with N15,000.” She noted that as a graduate of law 16 years ago, the idea of setting up a bridal make up business made no sense to her friends and parents who have invested heavily on her education.

But today, Fela-Durotoye is the Managing Director and Creative Director of House of Tara International, a leading player in the make-up sector of Nigeria’s beauty industry. The organisation has grown into a franchise enterprise with three main lines of business: The Make-up Studio, The Makeup School and the TARA product line comprising beauty products and professional make-up kits.

Tara who is widely considered as a veteran in the beauty industry told corps members at the NYSC camp, Ipaja that her make-up business started while she was an undergraduate in the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University.

The trained and certified make-up artist of Charles Fox, Convent Garden, London said, “do not think of big capital to start a business. Start small, think big, and grow fast. Whatever you have at hand is enough to start a business. Live below your means, learn as you go along. I was once my accountant, sales person, cleaner etc, now I have been able to employ over 100 persons.”

She has franchises spread across Nigeria with branches in Lagos, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt and Abuja  with emerging footprint on West African coastal countries of Cotonou, Ghana and Senegal.