JAY ON-AIR SHARES HOW TIKTOK REVIVED HIS LIFE AFTER COVID RUINED HIS OKRIKA BUSINESS
Read Time:2 Minute, 20 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
Joseph Onaolapo, widely known as Jay On-air, a content creator and on-air personality, has shared how TikTok became his lifeline after the collapse of his fairly used clothing (okrika) business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking in a recent interview with the media, the 31-year-old opened up about his challenging journey — revealing how a combination of unpaid salaries, constant rejection, and depression eventually led him to discover content creation.
Jay recounted how he moved to Lagos full of hope, determined to break into the media industry. He submitted his CV to virtually every radio station, convinced that an opportunity would come — but none did.
“I wanted to roll with the big boys and girls, he said. I came to Lagos thinking it would happen in a flash. I sent my CV to every radio station I could find — but nothing came through.”
Eventually, he found a role at an online radio station, but things didn’t go as planned. That detour led him into the corporate world, where he worked as an executive assistant and later as a communications executive.
“I was constantly owed salaries. I was treated like I had no value,” he said. “It broke me. Eventually, I quit and decided to start my own business.”
He shared that he eventually quit his job and ventured into business, starting off by selling okrika (fairly used clothes).
READ ALSO :
NIDCOM COMMENDS DECLARATION OF JULY 5 AS “IJAW DAY” IN HOUSTON, USA
According to him, the business picked up momentum quickly, and he even earned the nickname “the shorts guy” because of the high demand for the shorts he sold.
Just as things were beginning to go well, the COVID-19 lockdown hit, bringing everything to a standstill.
“I was selling okrika, and it was actually becoming successful. I was getting known as the shorts guy—people came to me specifically for shorts. I was trying, and this one seemed like it was finally working,” he recalled. “I even remember being able to afford a ticket to Waje’s concert, which was a big deal for me. Just ₦10,000 felt like such a milestone. Then COVID hit, and everything just… stopped. Silence. I was stuck at home, jobless.”
He said it was during this difficult period that he discovered TikTok, which helped pull him out of depression.
“That’s how I got into TikTok—lip-syncing to sounds just to have fun. That’s why I’m so passionate about creating now. When I was depressed and feeling lost, I’d wake up, shower, and spend hours on TikTok. I’d challenge myself—how many sounds can I create in an hour? How quickly can I lip-sync and make something cool?”
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0