In a renewed effort to reduce youth unemployment in Lagos State, King’s Trust International has partnered with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to organise the Get Hired Recruitment Fair, aimed at connecting job-ready graduates with employers across multiple sectors.
The fair, which held recently in Lagos, is part of a wider initiative executed by West African Vocational Education (WAVE) to equip unemployed graduates with essential soft skills, professional workplace behaviour, and practical job-seeking tools to increase their employability.
Speaking at the event, Damilola Sotuminu, Country Manager for Nigeria at King’s Trust International, said the programme is designed to address the growing challenge of youth unemployment in Nigeria. “Unemployment remains a major challenge, especially in Nigeria. Our goal is to provide young people with the right skills while connecting employers to qualified talent,” she said.
The Get Hired event drew participation from 22 employer partners, including Spurt, Edumark, Chow Noodles Bar, Ayoola Foods, and Alara Lagos, among others.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of LSETF, Feyisayo Alayande, stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in reducing joblessness in the state. “This partnership strengthens our commitment to tackling unemployment in Lagos State by connecting young people directly with employers and expanding access to economic opportunities,” she stated.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s unemployment rate was 4.2 per cent as of the second quarter of 2023. However, underemployment remains widespread, with many young people unable to secure meaningful employment due to a lack of job-ready skills and industry exposure.
The Program Lead for the Get Hired project at WAVE, Christian Adegor, pointed out that one of the major challenges in the job market is not the unavailability of jobs, but the mismatch between employer expectations and candidate readiness. “Many jobs are available, but employers often struggle to find candidates with the right soft skills. This initiative bridges that gap by preparing graduates to meet workplace expectations,” he explained.
