The Lagos State Government has held its 2025 Job Fair, drawing a massive crowd of over 5,000 job seekers, young graduates, and entrepreneurs eager to connect with opportunities for employment and enterprise.
The fair, which took place on Friday, brought together more than 300 organisations from diverse sectors, including ICT, finance, manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, media, and the creative industries.
Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering Lagosians, particularly young people, with the skills and tools needed to thrive in today’s competitive job market.
Organised by the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, the governor described the fair as a bold demonstration of the state’s resolve to build an inclusive economy “where no talent is wasted, and every ambition is given a chance to flourish.”
Represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, Sanwo-Olu noted that this year’s theme — “Your Career, Your Way: Explore Endless Possibilities” — aligns with the aspirations of Lagos youth, inspiring them to pursue careers and entrepreneurial paths that reflect their strengths while contributing to the prosperity of Lagos and Nigeria.
The governor emphasised that under his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Development Agenda, youth empowerment remains a top priority.
He highlighted ongoing investments in skills acquisition, vocational training, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship support as part of the state’s broader drive to secure the future of its young population.
Also speaking, the Head of Service, Olabode Agoro — represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Toriola Abdulafeez — called on stakeholders to partner with the state in implementing sustainable wealth creation programmes.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Hon. Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, said the Job Fair was more than just an event, but a “lifeline and a promise kept” by the Sanwo-Olu administration.
Ajigbotafe disclosed that over 200,000 jobs had been created in the past four years through direct and indirect interventions by the Ministry.
These included the Graduate Internship Placement Programme, multiple vocational training centres, and the newly commissioned Leather Hub in Mushin, designed to transform creativity into enterprise.
He further revealed that billions of naira had been disbursed through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to small businesses, start-ups, and young entrepreneurs, enabling them to expand and create even more jobs.
The Commissioner commended employers of labour, development partners, and technical collaborators such as Human Capital Partners and Intermarc for sustaining the platform and helping unlock opportunities for Lagos talent.
In his own remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Esv. Wasiu Adebayo Olayinka, expressed gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu for his visionary leadership, while acknowledging the efforts of stakeholders, keynote speakers, panellists, and participants who contributed to the success of the fair.
He pledged that the ministry would continue to create sustainable avenues for wealth generation and decent work.
The fair also featured an interactive panel session with the Chairman of the Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Boladele Dapo-Thomas, as one of the panellists, while the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Establishment and Training, Olubusola Abidakun, served as moderator.
With thousands of job seekers and hundreds of employers under one roof, the Lagos Job Fair 2025 marked another milestone in the state’s drive to tackle unemployment, nurture entrepreneurship, and empower its teeming youth population.
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