Why Nigerian youths find it difficult to convert talent to wealth – Artist

A renowned musician, Thompson Victor Ufuoma, popularly called Victor Thompson, says some youths find it difficult to convert their talents to wealth because they undermine mentorship.

Victor Thompson, who said this in an interview with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, said beyond having talent, there was the need for requisite knowledge on how to make it financially beneficial.

He said people could always see further by standing on the shoulders of giants as stated by Sir Isaac Newton, a famous English Scientist.

According to him, giants in this case are experts in given fields of study, who have garnered experience over time and surmounted certain challenges to become successful.

Victor Thompson, a soul singer, said it was important for youths to understudy such people to unlock the key to their success.

“A mentor is a seasoned expert or teacher who provides guidance exclusively in his or her field of expertise.

“As social beings, we have to develope our knowledge pool and expertise based on the groundwork laid by our predecessors or people, who are ahead of us.

“In every field of work, be it Engineering, Arts or Medicine, people have always relied on breakthroughs and knowledge provided by those who are ahead of them,” he said.

He said, “there is a saying that failure is the greatest teacher but this does not imply that we should only learn from our shortcomings.

“Therefore as youths, we should have mentors because they provide us with a pool of experience including failures.

“This is because mistakes are not worth making when we can tap into the experiences of others.”

The musician, who was a contestant on The Voice Nigeria Season 2, said there was nothing wrong with people critiquing what others do, adding that constructive criticism was beneficial.

He said he was a product of mentorship, adding that in the course of his career, he had directed television shows among others.

The musician, who has Bachelors in Environmental Science, said he had directed the television show called Vocalist Naija and appeared as a judge on Artmosphere Reality Show.

Victor Thompson who is popularly known for his Viral version of the Worship Medley “Dependable God” has also written and composed songs like “Miyeruwe”, “Better Mind”, and “Carry Belle” among others.(NAN)