The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling youth unemployment by strengthening digital skills and entrepreneurship training across state-owned tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the Job Initiative Lagos programme held at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, said the state was prioritising technology and innovation to reduce poverty, grow the economy, and prepare young people for opportunities in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Mr. Sule explained that the initiative aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which places human capital development and technology-driven growth at its centre. Addressing undergraduate participants, he said the state would not allow its students to fall behind in a world where digital skills increasingly determine employability and long-term career prospects.
“Despite competing demands for state resources, the Government has continued to prioritise digital and entrepreneurship knowledge as a vital key for youth and graduates to achieve self-employment,” he said.
He urged students to take the training seriously, noting that the programme is publicly funded and designed to help young people contribute more meaningfully to the economy. He added that the initiative is part of a broader plan to expand job creation, reduce unemployment, and build a more competitive workforce.
The commissioner challenged participants to justify the Government’s investment by applying the skills acquired to create opportunities rather than rely solely on traditional jobs.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Adeniran Kasali, said the curriculum was developed by leading industry professionals in entrepreneurship and digital innovation. He noted that the facilitators were selected for their ability to provide practical strategies suited to Nigeria’s current economic realities.
Mr. Kasali encouraged the students to begin applying the lessons immediately, saying the objective of the initiative is to help undergraduates think beyond job seeking and position themselves as future employers.
The three-weekend Job Initiative Lagos training is running simultaneously at LASU and the Lagos State College of Health Technology, Yaba. The programme is a key pillar of the THEMES Plus Agenda and aims to equip undergraduates with strong digital competencies while reinforcing Lagos’s emergence as a growing technology and entrepreneurship hub in
