The Young Artist Who Drew His Way Forward

The room is quiet except for the soft scrape of charcoal against canvas. Best Omoyele barely notices anyone walking in. His eyes stay fixed on the unfinished portrait in front of him, patiently building shadows, adding light and bringing another face to life.

This is where he feels most at home.

Today, at 18, Best's charcoal portraits hang on walls thousands of kilometres from home. Clients from Australia and beyond pay for work that began in the pages of an ordinary school exercise book. Just two years ago, none of that seemed possible.

It all started in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill. Looking for something to keep her son occupied, his mother bought him a sketchpad.

"It began with small sketches," he recalls. "I realised I could draw simple things, and they turned out well. That was how it started."

Drawing soon became more than a way to pass the time. It became his escape. While other children spent their afternoons outside, Best filled page after page with faces, teaching himself through patience and practice.

By 2023, he knew he wanted to take it seriously. He found a professional artist willing to mentor him, learned charcoal portraiture and, perhaps more importantly, began to understand that art could become a livelihood.

Then life took another unexpected turn.

Financial difficulties forced him to postpone his university education.

"It was painful watching my friends continue with school while I stayed back," he says quietly. "But art kept me going."

Instead of giving up, he kept drawing.

Best discovered the Nigeria Learning Passport at Success Grabbers Academy in Ilesa, Osun State, a learning centre supporting young people outside the formal school system. The free platform, developed by UNICEF, Microsoft and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Education, introduced him to digital learning and AI-powered creative tools.

For Best, they filled a gap he had struggled with for years.

"I could imagine things clearly, but I couldn't always bring them to life," he says.

The tools helped him better understand light, shadow, composition and proportion. Slowly, his portraits became stronger. So did his confidence.

They also changed how he presented his work online.

"Before, I just posted my drawings randomly," he says. "AI showed me how to use hashtags and reach the right audience."

Not long afterwards, one of his portraits gained attention online. New followers arrived. Then came the commissions.

One potential client contacted him through Instagram. They exchanged messages for almost a month before agreeing on the commission.

One evening, after returning from lessons, Best glanced at his phone.

"I saw the alert. I was shocked and so happy," he says. "The next day, I went straight to the studio to tell my boss. That moment meant everything to me."

The payment, 150,000 naira, was more money than he had ever earned from his art. The first thing he bought was a smartphone, a tool he now relies on every day to research new techniques, connect with clients and manage his growing business. Soon afterwards, another commission arrived, this time from Australia.

"He paid close attention to every detail," Best laughs. "He especially liked the ears."

Today, his work continues to reach clients far beyond Nigeria.

Best is not alone. Around him at Success Grabbers Academy, other young people are also using the Nigeria Learning Passport to build practical skills and earn an income.

"I used to watch animations on Facebook and TikTok and think I could never do that," says 14-year-old Bada Oda. "Now I create animations, cartoons, logos, banners and turn photos into 3D images."