• Despite an official unemployment rate of 4.3% in Q2 2024, Nigeria still faces high youth underemployment.
• Skill-based public-private partnerships are gaining ground to improve job readiness.
• Over 150 young job seekers and about 20 employers attended the “Get Hired” fair in Lagos, supported by WAVE, LSETF, and the King’s Trust Fund.

Although Nigeria’s official unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in the second quarter of 2024, the country continues to face high levels of underemployment among its youth. In response, public-private partnerships focused on practical skill development are gaining momentum as a tool to support youth employment.

In Lagos, more than 150 young job seekers and around 20 employers took part in the “Get Hired” fair, held in April. The event was organized by West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE), with backing from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and the King’s Trust Fund. It marked the end of a four-week employability training program designed to equip young adults aged 18 to 35, a group often left out of formal training, with hands-on skills. The program is part of a broader effort that aims to train 2,000 young people by 2027.

Organizers highlighted the importance of cross-functional skills like communication, time management, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship. At the fair, young people were encouraged to consider self-employment as a viable alternative to salaried work. This approach is particularly relevant in a country where, according to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, about 35% of youth are inactive or only weakly active, and 28% are underemployed, working between 20 and 39 hours per week.

Against the backdrop of a largely informal economy and a tight job market, this initiative is part of a broader shift toward skills-based structural reform. Similar policies are being implemented in other West African countries, such as Senegal, where employment strategies were recently refocused on training and self-employment mentoring as of April 2025.

In Nigeria, the success of this strategy will depend on the ongoing involvement of private sector partners, the integration of training programs into national policy, and follow-up mechanisms to track outcomes. In the medium term, the program’s impact will be measured by how many beneficiaries are able to earn stable incomes. Over the long term, strong governance and steady financing will be essential to ensure these programs align with the country’s inclusive growth strategy.