From tinkering and repairing radios in secondary school to opening a barbing salon and now creating food content on social media platforms, John-Avah Stanley Oghenekaro’s journey reflects the power of everyday creativity.
The Delta State native, popularly known as Jaskaro, turned simple lifestyle moments like cooking meals, sharing routines, and showcasing real African living into viral content that has transformed his life. And while he started shooting with a basic phone, he’s now flying to Lagos for collaborations and building big brand connections.
In this edition of After Hours, we explore how a casual lifestyle creator from Delta State leveraged technology to turn simple cooking videos into viral moments.
Early encounters with technology
Growing up, I was always a curious child, the kind who loved electronics and building things.
The radio was actually the first tech product I remember using. That was around the late 1990s and early 2000s. From a very young age, and even in school, teachers recognised me for tinkering. I repaired radios and electronics.
Apart from that, I’ve always been good at cooking. It’s not just something I started now. During my secondary school days, I would cook at home and invite friends and classmates to come and eat together. It’s funny because what I do today with food and lifestyle content is exactly what I was doing back then, just without a phone camera.
Content creation started much later, while I was running my barbing salon. Some days were busy, but many days were slow. Instead of sitting idle or just watching others waste data online, I decided to start sharing my own life, including my cooking, routines, and simple lifestyle.
I wasn’t trying to show luxury. I just wanted to show how an average Nigerian lives.
Leveraging technology
I started about a year ago, first on Facebook. I was doing reaction content at first, but that account was taken down because of copyright issues. I was frustrated. For a while, no platform even allowed me create new accounts, except TikTok.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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So I started again from scratch on TikTok. I began posting casual videos of myself cooking, eating, or just walking around my compound. Some people insulted me, some encouraged me. But I kept going.
Then one Sunday, after cooking, I casually filmed myself carrying my food in a basin like a “local rich man” and walking confidently to go and eat. It wasn’t planned at all, but surprisingly, that video blew up.
When I started creating content, I didn’t have fancy equipment. I was using a Redmi phone, and so many people used to complain about the video quality.
Later, I managed to get an iPhone X, and then gradually upgraded. Even now, I still prefer using my phone for filming because it fits my editing style and the kind of content I make.
Over time, I added lights and basic equipment and started using video editing apps like CapCut. At first, I was filming everything myself. Now, I have a cameraman who stays with me for long hours a day. I also have a PA who assists me and is learning the lifestyle content process too. I don’t write scripts, though. What you see is my real life.
After TikTok started working for me, I moved back to Facebook. After about six to eight months, I created an Instagram account. Recently, I joined X (Twitter), and it’s doing well, too.
Right now, all my platforms are growing steadily. But if I’m being honest, Facebook and X are my biggest life changers.
TikTok helped me blow up, but the bullying was a lot, especially from the younger users. That’s why I’m not as active there anymore as I used to be. On Facebook and X, people appreciate the lifestyle content more.
One experience that really opened my eyes was my first trip to Lagos.
It started from a comment under one of my videos on X. A man commented that he was a big person in Nigeria and that when he came, I would be his cook. I honestly thought it was a joke. Later, his PA reached out to me properly. Plans changed from road travel to flight, and that was my first time ever entering a plane.
Content took me on a flight for the first time in my life. And even when I got to Lagos, I was treated like a king. I was given a fully furnished apartment and a car to move around, and all I had to do was cook a few meals.
That was when it really hit me, this thing is bigger than I imagined.
How technology has changed my life
Technology has helped me communicate better with people. I was raised to respect elders and speak politely, and social media has helped me connect with many different people while keeping those values.
I’ve never really taken a break from social media. Even when I’m eating, I think of recording; when I’m going to buy something, I think of the contents. It has become part of my life.
One thing people don’t see is how content has helped me also improve my living conditions. This year alone, I started renovating my compound. My kitchen is completely different now, my room has changed, and my environment looks better. It’s not just for aesthetics, but also to improve my content.
Another big benefit is connection. I now sit with people I never imagined I would meet in my life. People who support me, guide me, and open doors for me. That’s the power of content. Brands reach out to me; I can’t even count the number of partnerships I’ve had. Some are small while others are big gestures of appreciation.
I’m currently an ambassador for a new social media app called Kwot, where users can post and earn money. Other brands also send me gifts and collaborate in different ways.
The biggest challenge I face when using technology is the network. Because I document my lifestyle from morning till night, I upload multiple videos daily, from morning routine to afternoon activities and night content.
Uploading all that with a bad network can be frustrating, especially since I’m in a rural area.
If I had to choose three apps I can’t do without, they would be Facebook, X (Twitter), and TikTok, even though I’m less active now. These platforms changed my life.
If I could create one thing with technology, it wouldn’t just be for myself. I would create employment. I believe life is not about only helping your family alone; you should help others grow too. When people have jobs and skills, they can live peacefully and independently. That’s the kind of impact I want to make.
I still own my barbing salon, though, since it was my first hustle. But I’ve handed it over to someone to manage while I focus more on content creation. It’s still my business and my safety net. I’m even working on rebranding it to make it better.
In the next few years, I want to be fully focused on content, growing bigger, and doing more impactful projects.
