motivation letter
While growing up as a child, my hopes and aspirations revolved around my immediate perception and understanding of the world around me at the time and in the most basic way. As I matured, I began to understand the dynamics of the changing trends in people's interests and behavioural patterns within the local, regional and global space. One such trend which has become a global focus in every area of human endeavour is the concept of creativity and the creative industry. To fully understand this concept deeper, i chose to tow a creative line and fully engage myself to build the necessary skills that will help me thrive effectively in my academic and professional life.
It was important for me to understand the strategic role of creativity within the context of the creative industry in developing local economies to be globally competitive. The gap which globalization fills brings together shared interests, which has become a catalyst for socio-economic development.
Based on my growing interest in Fine Art, I chose to study it in the university, honing the skills required to thrive as a Fine Artist in Nigeria. I completed my BA in Fine Art from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 2014, specializing in Art History. Art was no longer a means to satisfy my aesthetic curiosities but had become a channel to solving day to day problems. I took courses that bordered around Creativity, women in art, issues in African Art, Philosophy, contemporary trends in Art History and research methodologies. In gaining deeper understanding of the course and its historical relevance to the development of societies, I took extra courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, and sociology and also attended business trainings and seminars to fully immerse myself in the workings of the creative industry. These courses allowed me to develop knowledge of the theoretical foundations and real world practice of Art both locally and internationally. I believe that i have also built a very strong knowledge base in business by taking these courses. This became my motivation to further pursue a global-centred course which encourages divergent thinking on global issues with the platform for interaction between decision makers of economic development and industry.
Through volunteer participation, I was nominated as part of the Executive committee of the department's Association to screen and make recommendations for suitable candidates to vote for the leadership of the association. I also volunteered to join ENACTUS in Zaria, a global student-led initiative that encourages active student participation in community development service through skill acquisition and empowerment programmes from 2012 - 2014. From my involvement, I have not only developed problem solving and interpersonal skills but developed a wide network of professional relationships. Juggling volunteer work with my hectic academic schedule was demanding as I made time to hold meetings and attend fundraising campaigns. These experiences has impacted me in a positive fashion evoking a sense of responsibility and pride in the work I did and the results I achieved. I believe that these skills will be invaluable and can be applied during erasmus events. I joined the membership of the YALI network to further hone my skill in proposal writing, marketing for small scale businesses and idea generation in business.
My professional journey also inspired me to apply for the ERASMUS programme as i enjoyed working with creative people on projects especially within management positions.
As an office assistant and intern at Compusoft Institute of Information Technology in Bauchi State from 2015 - 2016, I acquired expertise in providing clerical and administrative support by compiling and updating customer records, processing documentation, reports, scheduling and performance evaluations. I also sharpened my IT skills in Microsoft Office, Graphics, Web design and front-end programming..
As a Technical Assistant and Sales Manager in a family owned IT business in Kaduna State in 2017, I added value to the business operations by assisting in the daily work functions of the sales and technical department. I communicated directly with customers and suppliers, offering IT assistance, building sales plan, assigning sales training and sales territories and setting goals and quotas. I introduced additional service platforms through social media to attract more customers online and create more awareness of our services. This afforded me the opportunity to interact with people from all works of life and background which had a tremendous impact in enabling me empathize and help people better. I developed my communication skills and learned a great deal about creativity and innovation within the technology sector. The skills and competencies i gained formed the back bone of the business I started in November of the same year, providing administrative services to small businesses and organizations within my community which became a success.
I founded CEDIN(Creative Enterprise Development Initiative Nigeria), in January 2021, a social enterprise project committed to cultivating the entrepreneurial faculties of graduate Fine artists. It is designed to inspire them towards reaching the zenith of their potentials in Fine Art, encouraging them to dream beyond the walls of a gallery. By employing their creativity in problem-solving, these skills will enable them fully participate in solving national and global socio-economic challenges. My focus is closing the gap between business and art caused by the marginalization of this budding sector by stakeholders and policy makers alike and grooming the human resource poised to drive change in the industry. Based on my target to empower 200 graduate fine artists in three years, I partnered with an edTech company in the netherlands, Qredits; Be Your Own Boss. The aim is to synergize my strategy with their platform to infuse entrepreneurial knowledge into the creative process for these artists.
My choice of Global History and Creative Industries Pathway A stems from my desire to contribute meaningfully to the development of this global-impact sector. Having read about the modules it offers such as creative industries in the global economy, companies in emerging sector, creative cities, innovation and globalization, heritage and fashion, I am confident this coursework will highly benefit me. It provides the framework that fosters entrepreneurship and business cultures, creativity and innovation from a perspective of the global economies of creative and cultural institutions. It situates the socio-economic framework of thriving local enterprises. The nexus between the GLOCAL programme and my previous studies complements each other in such a way that opens up a whole new path to understand the relationship between business and Art and how to exploit its developmental potentials
I will gain better understanding of the mechanics of creative organisations within a global context, and the historical perspective of creativity employed by local businesses. I will understand creative people and collaborate with them to solve local and global challenges. The programme is further studied from a practice-based perspective with internship opportunities provided to fully immerse oneself in the daily operations of creative institutions. The consortium of universities provides excellent opportunities, exposures, connections and networks to interface with other professionals and leaders, in Europe's creative industry. To be able to effectively lead my organization, I hope to build on my leadership and team management skills to help me improve my service delivery. I am confident that with my rich educational, professional and volunteer experience, i will be able to meaningfully contribute to the rich dialogues that will take place. I look forward to seeing myself in this program, hoping to embark upon a transformational journey which will position me strategically to contribute towards the prosperity of not only Africa, but also the rest of the world.
The University of Glasgow offers opportunities for immersing oneself in the diverse cultures of continuing professional development opportunities. I also look forward to being a part of the Future World Changers Forum where I can leverage solutions to promote and drive leadership and innovation at my organisation. Studying at the Universitat De Barcelona will help me understand practically how new enterprises are created under emerging sectors from leading founders and managers. I will learn the dynamics of entrepreneurship and the intervention models suited for each stage of enterprise change. The internships and skills development hubs at Erasmus University, Rotterdam presents the platform to gain international experience and theoretical grounding for me in the GLOCAL programme equip myself with transferable skills that will benefit my organization.
I have sustained a degree of excellence in all my engagements, emerging the best Art History student in 2013 and receiving 3 prizes for academic excellence in the Fine Art department, graduating the overall best Art History student in 2014. I also ranked 3rd overall best draughtsman in the department in 2013. I received a certificate of excellence in recognition of my contributions to corporate social responsibility in 2014 by ENACTUS, zaria and was part of the team that emerged 2nd in the annual national CSR competitions held in Lagos by the same organization in 2014. I also received an award of excellence by the Fine Art department's Art mongers club for contributions to its development and advancement in 2014.
My thesis would discuss how the global south can benefit from business incubators and social entrepreneurship by leveraging local partnerships. The discuss would centre around the social-economic and financial impact on entrepreneurial activity.
In conclusion, as an individual, I represent leadership, excellence and inspiration for budding Fine Art professionals. As a brand, I represent integrity, transparency and accountability to the Fine Art Profession and as an organization, I represent the vision of a viable socio-economic strength for Nigeria's creative industry. In Nigeria therefore, it is my desire to contribute to helping her strive to fully achieve its SDG on Decent work and economic growth by 2030.
