By Eniola Philip
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), Development Services, of University of Lagos [UNILAG],Prof. Afolabi Lesi; the President/Provost of ICLED Business School,Lekki, Lagos, Prof. Olajumoke Familoni, a human capital and leadership expert from the United States [US], Dr. Wayne Puckett, and others, have called on the Nigerian university system to focus more on teaching soft and marketable skills to reduce unemployment in the country.
They made the call during the contest of ideas among the students of the university, marking the grand finale of the landmark Career Service Programme organised by the university in collaboration with the Innovation Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development (ICLED) Business School, Lekki, Lagos.
Themed: “Solving the Graduate Unemployment Crisis in Nigeria: The Way Forward,” the event was designed to highlight the practical skills, professional exposure, and entrepreneurial readiness acquired by penultimate and final-year students of UNILAG through ICLED’s Skill-Up Initiative training. It was held at the UNILAG NitHub.
The students had been exposed to soft skills training in four track areas such as people skills, work-ready, career planning and leadership skills. The sessions were delivered by seasoned professionals and industry experts, exposing students to real-world insights and practical applications. As part of their learning experience, students also took part in mock interviews to sharpen their confidence, resume writing to improve their employ-ability profiles, and mentor-ship sessions with career coaches. The interactive session allowed them to demonstrate not only their communication skills but also their ability to analyse, innovate, and propose solutions to Nigeria’s unemployment challenge. A panel of judges drawn from corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations [NGOs], and academia evaluated their performance, offering feedback and spotting outstanding talents for further opportunities. About 130 students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka participated in the contest.
Declaring the programme open, the DVC of the University of Lagos,Prof. Afolabi Lesi said the university system must teach them those soft skills that would make graduates successful and reduce unemployment.
The DVC said: ‘’The Office of Career Development Services was set up to support students and make them work-ready. This training is part of a series of activities organised by the Office of Career Development Services. This one is in partnership with ICLED, with Professor Olajumoke Familoni.
‘’So, they have a whole series of activities.They have been equipped with skills on how to attend interview, team building, communications and leadership skills, those are the kind of soft skills that you don’t learn from your courses.There are soft skills that are not taught, and you have to acquire those soft skills. So, the university system must teach them those skills that will make them successful.
‘’That’s exactly what we’re trying to do here. I think we need to start listening to our youth. Start listening to their ideas. Of course, they need guidance. That’s what we are here for. But I think they also have ideas and we need to start listening to them. That’s what I think will make a difference’’.
In her remarks, Princess Olajumoke Familoni, a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management,President of ICLED Business, said soft skills are critical in tackling graduate unemployment. The professor pointed out that the students had been equipped with the skills.
According to her, unemployment is as a result of a a mismatch, saying, ‘’We train students in theory without preparing them for the real world. Their presentations show they now understand the importance of industry–academia collaboration. Entrepreneurship is key in addressing graduate unemployment, ensuring that innovations are transformed into jobs and opportunities’’.
Speaking on the programme, Prof. Familoni said:‘’The event marked the closure of almost two years of preparation. It is the conclusion of the first cohort—students who have undergone six months of training in soft skills, career development, work readiness, and leadership to advance in the university. I am very proud of the students. They appreciate the university for exposing them to this opportunity’’.
On her part, Dr Puckett, who is a Director at ICLED, said actionable steps must be taken to implement ideas suggested by the students and other experts to address unemployment in Nigeria.
Puckett said: ‘’The students are truly amazing. They did an exceptional job integrating the lessons they were given. Achieving so much in just six weeks is very impressive. The students came up with excellent suggestions. These are major challenges, not easily solved. Students should continue discussions after the training. By breaking down these big problems into smaller, actionable steps, they can begin to address unemployment more effectively’’.
In his remarks, the Team Lead for the Office of the Office of Career Development Services of the university, Dr. Ayodele Shittu, said the programme was to equip the students with world-of-work and global citizenship skills and empower the students in four important skill areas.
‘’This is to showcase what they have learned for the past two months. They have made Unilag proud. We will see these young stars in high places in the future, influencing policies and decisions globally’’, Shittu added.
In her remarks, Mrs Ruth Aiyenigba, Managing Director of Pathway Micro-finance Bank, Ikoyi, who is one of the judges, urged the students to make proper use of the skills acquired.
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