The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) Hosts the Third Edition of the Lagos Employment Summit

In furtherance of its mandate to bolster job creation efforts in Lagos State, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, the Lagos Ministry of Wealth Creation and the Lagos Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, has held the third edition of the Lagos Employment Summit at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

The summit, themed “Job Creation- Uniting for Impact: Create, Collaborate, Change” brought together over 500 stakeholders from the government, international development organisations, donor and funding agencies and a broad range of stakeholders from diverse sectors, for inclusive discourse focused on establishing pathways for job creation and economic development in Lagos State.

Mrs. Feyisayo Alayande, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, in her speech, chronicled the inspiring eight-year journey of the organization. According to her, “The phenomenal achievements of the Fund within just eight years have made it a model across the country and has made other states create similar agencies. “

In her welcome address, Bola Adesola, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, charged stakeholders to unify efforts towards combating the unemployment challenge.

“It is incumbent upon us, as stakeholders, to forge a unified path toward a prosperous future where every citizen can contribute meaningfully to the society”, she shared.

Prominent industry leaders, including Hon. Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, the Honourable Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment; Mr. Weert Börner, LL.M, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany; Mrs. Thelma Ekiyor-Solanke, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Office for Philanthropy & Impact Investing (NPO); Ms. Zouera Youssoufou, the Managing Director/CEO of Aliko Dangote Foundation; and Hon. Ayodele Olawande, the Honourable Minister (State) of Youth Development, graced the stage to deliver goodwill messages, highlighting the urgency of catalyzing job creation for economic development.

A highlight of the event was the rousing keynote speech by the distinguished Co-Founder of GTBank and Founder of FATE Foundation, Mr. Fola Adeola, OFR. who shared his insights and experiences, focusing on innovative strategies for economic growth and entrepreneurship.
Adeola underscored the role of education in meeting the growing demands of the workforce. “In Lagos, where youth unemployment is a concern, a focus on improving education and aligning it with labour market needs is vital”, he opined.

In his inspiring and remarkable address, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo- Olu, reiterated the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and generate employment opportunities. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for concerted efforts to achieve the organization’s goals.

In his words, “The only way we can do it is collaboration, to identify new partners and for the partners to see the reason with us”.

A significant milestone of the summit was the official launch of the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), led by the Governor and key stakeholders from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, the German Agency for International Cooperation- Skills Development for Youth Employment (GIZ-SKYE) and Deloitte. This innovative platform seeks to enable access to labour market-related information to drive evidence-based policies and decisions in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

The summit featured a series of plenary and breakout sessions, covering topics such as public-private partnerships, the job and wealth creation potentials of the Lagos Free Zone, green economy investments, the digital economy, innovative strategies for reducing youth unemployment, and investment and funding channels for emerging economies. Each session offered diverse and nuanced perspectives from our expert speakers.

The event concluded with an industry sit-down, where key points from the discussions were synthesized. This session provided a platform for stakeholders to align on action steps to drive the employment agenda forward.
The Lagos Employment Summit 3.0 set the stage for impactful initiatives and collaborations aimed at transforming the employment landscape in Lagos State. The insights and commitments from this summit will guide future efforts in creating sustainable job opportunities and fostering economic growth.