We’ll Reduce “Japa” Syndrome Through Job Opportunities – Lagos Commissioner Assures

Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Akinyemi Bankole Ajigbotafe, has promised to initiate specific wealth creation policies that will increase opportunities for young people in the State to connect to job vacancies, such that the desperation of seeking greener pastures in other climes at all cost, would reduce.

The Commissioner stated this recently while delivering a Keynote Address at the 2023 Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment Job Fair held at LTV Compound, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

He said: “We cannot ignore, deny, or bury our heads in the sand because too many of the young people attending this fair may be looking for work abroad and hope to also ‘Japa’. That is why our Ministry organised this job fair because we believe it can be a great chance for some young people to connect with organisations and start a successful future together.

Ajigbotafe added that the Job Fair, being a platform created by the Ministry for companies and job seekers to interact, provides an opportunity for employers to conduct first interviews, make contacts and respond to inquiries about the educational requirements or work experience required for particular job opportunities.

In his words: “Various job seekers have frequently complained about discriminatory employment placement process, but this Job Fair largely permits an objective selection of candidates. The direct connection between job seekers and employers provided by this fair greatly reduces the possibility of exploitation or bribery by unlicensed middlemen, brokers or agents”.

He stated that the theme of the job fair, “Connecting Youths With Job Opportunities”, revealed that there are several windows of opportunities in Lagos State given the State’s enormous human and material potential.

According to him, there are opportunities across various sectors in Lagos State with thousands of youths doing well in their various fields and putting the State on the world stage in Science and Technology, Sports, Commerce, Entertainment, etc.

“The administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has acknowledged the opportunities and difficulties that every potential job seeker faces; which is why this event was organised to address these and proffer solutions in line with the Governor’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which also focuses on Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and the Youth”, Ajigbotafe averred.

While expressing hope that each participant at the Job Fair finds work or develops marketable vocational skills, the Commissioner urged all youths to keep thinking creatively and work toward eventually starting their businesses and employing people, saying that “to help Lagos rise, we must all do our parts”.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Biodun Onayele said he is optimistic that at the end of the Job Fair, all participants will be fully equipped to face the challenges in the labour market, assuring participants that all the organisations and recruiting Agencies at the Job Fair will conduct interviews for the participants for likely employment opportunities.

The present administration has a clear focus towards building a vibrant economy, hence, the THEMES Plus pillar of “making Lagos a 21st-century economy”, upon which the Ministry aligns its Ministerial assignment of enabling Wealth Creation and Employment for the youths and other categories of unemployed persons.

Dr. Onayele gave the assurance that the Lagos State Government will continue to provide an enabling environment for businesses and initiatives to thrive and work with all groups and interests to achieve the overall policy thrust of wealth generation and employment strategies for the sustainability of economic growth of the State.