The productive connection between job creators and job seekers has been identified as a vital factor in Nigeria’s labour and economic development.

The Country Head of Programmes, Jobberman Nigeria, Olamide Adeyeye, speaking on Friday during the Ibadan Career Fair organised by Jobberman Nigeria in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, said that the event aimed at exposing youths, job seekers, and young career professionals to the right information, skills, and tools that would enable them to properly navigate the labour market and the corporate world.

Adeyeye revealed that Jobberman Nigeria has been in the partnership of training and equipping millions of Nigerian youths and job seekers for six years, and is committed to seeing more people getting the right jobs, more employers trusting their employees more, and the economy becoming more sustainable.

“The right partnership, including strategic government policies, is vital to making the Nigerian labour market attractive and productive, which will, in turn, reduce unemployment and also reduce the strain on the economy.”

The keynote speaker, Dr Olugbenga Omojola, speaking on ‘Unlocking inclusive Opportunities for talent and thriving enterprise’ stated that the Nigerian labour market is resilient and full of opportunities, but the opportunities do not respond to availability, rather to intentional readiness.

Omojola emphasised that the gap is no longer between education and employment, but between knowledge and creative application of knowledge.

Noting that what drives employability is knowledge, skills, and attitude, he added, “Employers that will fare well in today’s fast-evolving business world are those who invest in people, build excellent work culture, and prioritise inclusion.”

According to Omojola, the three major things to do to unlock job and business opportunities are knowledge of market trends, intentional positioning, and proactive engagement with professionals and recruiters.

The Director of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Dr Oke Paul Adegboye, commended Jobberman Nigeria and the Mastercard Foundation for the career fair, while itemising the progress the government has made in providing jobs for the youths of Oyo State.