What’s is an Academic Doctor doing in the music industry?

Writing Credits: Dr Alfred Mbeteh:

NEA Business Executive of the Year 2019 Nominee

I am often asked this question and for every time I am asked there has always been a smile 😊 on my face as I calmly respond.

Entertainment is a language that knows no boundaries. It easily connects even the most disunited group of people and for most countries it has been a great tool to counterbalance employment and invariably a great source of national income (GDP). It has helped nations like Nigeria, Malawi etc brand their image on the world stage.

In Sierra Leone, about 70% of our youths are unemployed. The traditional model of getting out of this trap has been getting our youths to get degrees and ultimately seek jobs. The problem with this method however, is that there are very limited jobs to the extent that the majority of our graduates end up being part of the same trap (unemployment).

Now how do we solve this problem ?

••••

A major part of the answer is to provide skilled training in many areas including those in the entertainment industry e.g. artistes, producers, DJs, entertainment journalists etc. Degrees are good but a skill is what makes the difference in the real world. Skill training gives the youths the power to make a living for themselves irrespective of government’s direct intervention.

However, we as a nation have constantly ignored those youths who go on to find their way out of poverty through music for example. We label and describe them as “drop outs” “unserious” “this nor cam 4 betteh”etc. thereby killing their dreams.

Meanwhile, recent success stories like

Benjamin Menelik George aka Drizilik, Zainab Sheriff of Big Sista etc has shown us that music can indeed be an antidote to youth unemployment and its associated problems.

It is against this backdrop that I as the founder and CEO of De VICTORS (a UK Success-based company) decided to invest in the entertainment industry by signing a very young talented artiste (SlimPezee) for a record fee of 50 million leones.

I presented his case to my company’s Board of Directors in May 2019 and to show how committed I was, I had to fly out of the UK to Sierra Leone in June 2019 to sign him in the prestigious Home Suit Hotel, Freetown.

Within three months we have:

✔developed his own personalised website (www.slimpeezee.com); something rarely seen in SL’s entertainment industry

✔released a video of his current trending song titled “Paper Boi” which currently has over 35,000 views worldwide.

✔secured a contract to produce and performed a song on the theme “Girls Get Equal” for Plan International. His performance was one of the highlights of the show.

✔ Produced two girls’ awareness and empowerment songs to help with the “get off our hands campaign”; the video of which we are currently working on

✔ offered him a personal scholarship to further his studies in order to hone his craft

✔ Availed him with endless one to one mentoring sessions with members of our team

✔ Lastly we are preparing him for the global stage that he was born to perform on and currently working on several projects which will be phased out next year.

In a nutshell, my entry into the the entertainment industry is based on my fervent belief that entertainment will facilitate Sierra Leone to change its image in its rebranding process.

Additionally, the youths will be given wider career choices, do what they love and our unemployment level will dwindle.

I am happy to play my role in this process. I thank the Board of Trustees at National Entertainment Awards for nominating me as the “BUSINESS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR and our artiste SLIMPEEZEE as the the “NEXT RATED ARTISTE OF THE YEAR”.

To Vote, please send two separate text messages using QCELL Mobile

Phone only:

1. For Business Executive of the Year

Send EEY4 to 429

2. For Next Rated Artiste of the Year

Send NRA1 to 429

With your support “the game go become even bigger and better” and we will bring these nominations home.

Thank you for believing in US.

••••••••

About the Nominee

•••••

Dr Alfred Mbeteh is a Researcher, Entrepreneur, Author and Lecturer (REAL). He currently resides in the UK, lectures at Roehampton University, University of West London and Nelson College London. He is also the founder and CEO of De VICTORS; a UK based success company which helps to Discover, Develop and Deploy (3D) the talents of our youths.

He has worked with the UK National Citizen Service (NCS) as a Youth Programme Leader facilitating the personal development of the youths in the UK.

Alfred has published and co-published several books, articles and book chapters with reputable journals and publishers.

His current book which is to be published by Emeralds Publication by April 2020 is titled:

Entrepreneurship Education in Africa. A Contextual model for Competencies and Pedagogy in developing countries.

He is also a director and shareholder of various businesses he has helped create.

Dr Mbeteh also acts as a business consultant and a motivational speaker.

For all commentaries or questions, please forward it to real@alfredmbeteh.com

Dr Alfred Mbeteh PhD

Researcher|Entrepreneur| Author| Lecturer| & |Motivational Speaker| (REALM)

Visit: alfredmbeteh.com

————————

🧿MAYS JR