Experts call for partnerships, innovation to tackle youth unemployment at PREMIUM TIMES summit

Stakeholders across the public, private and development sectors have called for stronger partnerships and innovative approaches to address Nigeria’s growing youth unemployment.

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They spoke at the maiden edition of the PREMIUM TIMES Employability Summit 2025, held on Thursday in Lagos.

Themed “Converting Nigeria’s Demography into Assets,” the summit was organised by PREMIUM TIMES in partnership with Business School Netherlands, Seven Up Bottling Company, The SME Scale Up, and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

The summit brought together key players in government, business, academia and civil society to deliberate on practical solutions to Nigeria’s persistent employment challenges, particularly among young people.

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According to the World Bank, Nigerians aged 30 and under comprise over 60 per cent of the country’s estimated population of 227.9 million.

The most recent labour data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that youth unemployment stood at 6.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2023.

Insights, government efforts

Delivering the keynote address, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Chairman, Niyi Yusuf, stressed the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to tackling unemployment.

Mr Yusuf emphasised that human capital development should be prioritised in national planning and called on the government, academia and private sector to collaborate in expanding job opportunities and building skills.

“Our youths don’t lack talent. They just need access and the tools to succeed,” he said.

L-R: Shitta Oluwagbemilola, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment; Oladeinde Olawoyin, Premium Times' Business Editor; and Niyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit — L-R: Shitta Oluwagbemilola, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment; Oladeinde Olawoyin, Premium Times’ Business Editor; and Niyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit

Representing the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, the Director of Employment, Shitta Oluwagbemilola, said over 16,000 active job seekers are currently registered in the state.

Mr Oluwagbemilola called on the private sector to create more internship placements and mentorship opportunities to complement government efforts.

More contributions

In the first plenary session, Uyi Akpata, Immediate Past Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria, emphasised the importance of partnerships in creating meaningful work.

L–R: Ime Enang, Director of Business and Partnerships at Premium Times; Uyi Akpata, Immediate Past Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria; Ziad Maalouf, Managing Director of SBC; and Michael Ikpoki, CEO of Africa Content Advisory Partners.

Mr Akpata cited the firm’s collaboration with the Lagos State Government on the “Ready Set Work” initiative, which successfully transitioned interns into full-time roles.

Ziad Maalouf, Managing Director of Seven Up Bottling Company, during his presentation

In his presentation, the Managing Director of Seven Up Bottling Company (SBC), Ziad Maalouf, urged Nigerian businesses to go beyond basic growth models and focus on scaling.

Using the company’s mentorship model as a case study, Mr Maalouf said real impact comes when businesses invest in people, provide strong guidance, and commit to long-term development.

He recounted the story of a former office assistant at SBC who rose through the ranks to become second-in-command, describing it as a testament to the power of intentional mentoring and workplace inclusion.

Also, the CEO of Africa Context Advisory Partners, Michael Ikpoki, opened the second plenary session by calling on organisational leaders to prioritise knowledge transfer.

Mr Ikpoki noted that good leaders are not often the smartest people, but their key strength lies in harnessing the talents of their subordinates. His position on knowledge transfer in the workplace emphasises that management needs to listen to employees.

Need for cross-generational diversity

In a statement released after the summit, the Chief Executive Officer of Business School Netherlands International, Lere Baale, a panellist, highlighted the importance of cross-generational leadership in today’s evolving workplace.

Mr Baale, a professor, described Nigeria’s multigenerational workforce as a strategic advantage, not a liability, urging organisations to harness the distinct strengths of different generations.

Mr Baale outlined ten action points to help employers manage generational diversity more effectively.

These included reverse mentoring programmes, blended learning in staff training, cross-generational project teams, and avoiding age-based stereotyping.

He stressed that fostering inclusion and cognitive diversity must become a core leadership skill, not an optional ideal.

“Leading cross-generational teams is no longer optional,” he said. “It is a strategic imperative for shaping the future of work.”

Panel discussions

Two panel sessions were held during the summit. The first focused on opportunities in the creative economy, agriculture, artificial intelligence and other under-explored sectors.

L-R: Nneka Eneli, Director of Workforce Outsourcing; Lere Baale, CEO, Business School Netherlands (BSN); Lara Yeku, Divisional Director and Head of HR, Food Commercial Division at Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc; Commodore A Mohammed, Senior Officer in the Nigerian Navy with expertise in Communications and IT; and Samira Bello, CEO of AADUN & Co.

Panellists included Dare Odusanya, general manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation; Esiri Agbeyi, Partner and Africa Family Business leader, PwC Nigeria, represented by an associate director; and Kelechi Abiri, founder of Reposebay Human Resource Limited, who moderated the session.

Ms Agbeyi shared insights on how family-run businesses can adopt flexible succession plans to accommodate younger, tech-savvy generations.

Mr Odusanya urged participants to look towards the agricultural sector, noting that innovation in the supply chain could unlock significant value.

The second panel session addressed cross-generational workforce dynamics and their impact on workplace productivity.

Speakers included Mr Baale, Nneka Eneli, Director of Workforce Outsourcing; Lara Yeku, Divisional Director and Head of HR, Food Commercial Division at Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc; and Commodore A. Mohammed of the Nigerian Navy, who has expertise in communications and IT. Samira Bello, CEO of AADUN & Co, moderated the session.

Mr Baale spoke about how his institution has restructured its curriculum to make it more practical, while Mrs Yeku shared a workplace case study where interns were tasked with peer-reviewing the work of senior staff.

READ ALSO: PREMIUM TIMES, partners launch maiden Employability Summit (LIVE UPDATES)

Mr Mohammed added that leadership must evolve to meet the expectations of younger workers, who often seek meaning and balance in their careers.

The summit ended with a fireside chat between Oladeinde Olawoyin, Business Editor at PREMIUM TIMES, and Ajibola Babalola, Employability Project Officer at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). Mr Babalola represented the executive secretary of the fund, Feyisayo Alayande.

Their conversation focused on the Labour Management Information System for Lagos State, a data-driven initiative aimed at helping policymakers and institutions make informed employment decisions.