By Adeyinka Adeniran
Stakeholders from academia, the private sector, and civil society have reiterated the urgent need for young Nigerians to acquire entrepreneurship and employability skills, emphasizing that formal education alone is no longer sufficient in a fast-evolving, technology-driven job market.
This was the central theme at the conclusion of a three-week Employability Skills Training Programme and Job Fair in Oyo State, an initiative jointly organized by SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria and Romancepage Global, aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment through targeted skill development.
In his goodwill message, the Oyo State Coordinator, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr Ilori Idowu emphasized the significance of the event as a platform to empower Nigerian youth through job placements, vocational training, and skill development.
He highlighted the NDE’s core mission—to design and implement employment-generating programs. He praised the attendees for their proactive steps in acquiring skills necessary for today’s dynamic job market and commended partners like SOS Children’s Villages and Romanspage Global for their dedication to youth empowerment.
Particularly, he commended the organisers for emphasising both technical and soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, which he described as vital tools for success and self-reliance in the workplace.
To the participating youths, he offered words of encouragement, urging them to continue learning, stay confident, and pursue their ambitions with persistence. He also reminded them that the skills they have acquired are not just credentials but keys to unlocking career opportunities and building meaningful futures.
The Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Ibadan, Professor Sherifat Aboaba who was represented by Mr Abayomi Akinola noted that entrepreneurship is a vital tool in the face of rising automation and artificial intelligence.
He said “No machine will take creativity from you, no machine will do innovation for you. Entrepreneurship is the only skill automation cannot replace. It is the future of work.”
He stressed that while AI might displace certain jobs, it also opens doors to new roles—most of which will require entrepreneurial thinking and flexibility. He also called for the reengineering of Nigeria’s education system to embed soft skills and career development at all levels, including the secondary school levels.
The event attracted over 60 employers from various sectors, offering young people both exposure to potential employers and practical insights into workplace demands.
Speaking on behalf of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, the Programme Manager in Oyo State, Mr Gabriel Adajie highlighted the importance of viewing youth as key to national development.
He said “We see young people as critical stakeholders in empowering families and driving economic growth. That’s why we’ve invested time and resources in their development through programmes like this.”
He explained that the initiative is part of a broader Youth Development Programme launched in 2023 in support of the Oyo State Government’s youth empowerment agenda, adding that the organization partnered with Romancepage Global, known for its job readiness training, to enhance the employability of the state’s youth.
Adajie said, “Our goal is to help them achieve self-independence and long-term self-reliance.”
In a keynote remarks, Director of Strategy, Partnerships for 1million Teachers, Oluwaseyi Anifowoshe stressed the critical role of employers in shaping future-ready talents and fostering entrepreneurial mindsets.
He said, “Entrepreneurship is the soul of today’s world. Young people must be encouraged to create, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society, It is essential that young people get passionate about entrepreneurship. We must begin to focus our attention on young people.”
Anifowoshe however called for greater government and corporate support to create enabling environments for young entrepreneurs to thrive.
Also speaking, Managing Partner at Romanspage Global, Samuel Omomo, emphasized that the training responded to growing complaints from employers about the lack of critical thinking skills that fits into the workplace environment as well as a deep-seated need to prepare youths for real-world challenges.
The programme, which featured direct engagement between job seekers and employers, sought to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and workplace readiness.
Omomo said, “Employers constantly report that graduates lack critical workplace skills—team building, time management, ICT proficiency, even basic tools like Microsoft Word. Our goal is to fix that. I myself am a product of a similar training and it transformed my career.”
Omomo further called on the government to scale up partnerships with private initiatives and incorporate professional skills development into national curricula, including for non-university bound youths.
“This is not just about university graduates. Technicians, artisans, and other informal sector workers must also be trained. Everyone needs employability skills, regardless of educational background.
“One of the things we have been advocating for is the integration of professional and soft skills into the school curricula. To some extent, government has been yielding but we need to do more by partnering with private collaborators so that it can cascade down fast and it can bridge the routine skill that people lack from the four walls of the classrooms.”
Participants at the event included over 120 young Nigerians who underwent rigorous sessions on life skills and workplace readiness. Many met with potential employers, some of whom expressed interest in immediate hires, which highlights the effectiveness of practical training over theoretical learning alone.
One participant who spoke with The Nation expressed optimism about her employment prospects post-training. “I now feel prepared—not just on paper, but in reality. I can confidently walk into a workplace and contribute from day one,” she said.
