BetKing Tackling Unemployment Through Entrepreneurship

Simon Fakemi

Nigeria has one of the largest populations of youth in the world and, according to the World Bank, the country will have one of the largest working-age populations by the end of the decade. However, current employment opportunities are far from catching up with this boom. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria’s unemployment rate has risen from 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020 to 33%.

Aside from making it the second highest on the global list, the NBS report, going by analysis, shows that more than 60% of Nigeria’s working-age population is younger than 34. This statistic alone tends to produce serious economic consequences such as the high rate of poverty, reduction in national output of goods and services, rural-urban migration increases, an increase in debts, wastage of resources, and promotion of criminal behavior, which leads to social unrest.

So, what is the solution? Only one word comes to mind – entrepreneurship. According to a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), Nigeria is the foremost country for business and entrepreneurial growth, due to the bone of contention which is unemployment. Many key players in the private sector are creating opportunities every day for the Nigerian grassroots to elevate their standard of living with good sources of income, be it by fixed salary or per gig. Over time, the companies have had to use creative means of creating entrepreneurial opportunities as a means of fighting unemployment. Take, as an illustration, BetKing, who is not only redefining the face of digital entertainment in Nigeria and Africa at large; but also creating jobs through one of Nigeria’s greatest entertainment platforms and national unifiers – sports.

As a prominent player in the field of sports betting, BetKing views sports as a unique blend of entertainment and opportunities. Not only is the company helping the Nigerian sports industry to thrive with the participation of fans, but they have also made it possible for the youths amongst these fans to see sports betting as not just a game, but a business. BetKing’s vibrant agent network offers interested individuals the unique opportunity of owning their personal business by partnering with the fastest-growing sports betting platform in Nigeria.

 In addition to creating the opportunity for thousands of young Nigerians to be their own boss, recent initiatives undertaken by BetKing have been instrumental in making a solid impact in the lives of their agents. One of these is their recently launched ‘100 BK Shop Giveaway’ initiative in June 2022 where they provided 100 long-standing cashiers and agents with fully furnished shops to help them upscale their businesses. Another is the BetKing partnership with DSTV, to provide new agents free DSTV equipment in addition to a welcome package.

This will greatly reduce the cost of setting up shop for the new BetKing recruits. The free DSTV equipment also came with a one-month subscription to explore any DSTV channel of their choice, which also helped to boost engagement and entertainment.

These initiatives have proven invaluable for the youths in turn, as many have attested to the impact of BetKing. The general consensus of most is the platform’s impact as a reliable source of income with fast payouts, an improved standard of living, and most importantly, a great means of combatting unemployment. With over 20,000 betting shops and an ever-growing network of agents across Nigeria, BetKing is bringing about a positive wave of change in securing gainful employment for many of Nigeria’s youth.