Lagos State has announced plans to create 1,000 new jobs through its Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP). Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known at the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment Stakeholders’ Forum 2025, held on Wednesday in Ikeja. The theme was “Passion to Prosperity: Unlocking Youth Potential in Lagos.”
The governor was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin. He urged stakeholders across sectors to unite in addressing unemployment, especially among young people.
“As a government, we have to keep creating an environment that allows passion to blossom into success, which means ensuring access to quality education, relevant skills, mentorship, funding, and a supportive ecosystem,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said strategies must focus on education and skill development to meet the changing job market. He added that entrepreneurship should be encouraged as a driver of innovation and wealth creation.
“We must cultivate an environment where mentorship and collaboration flourish, linking young talents with seasoned professionals who can motivate and guide them,” he added.
Guest speaker Ahmed Gobir, president and chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), said job creation must be treated as an urgent need.
“Job creation is not charity but a matter of economic survival,” he said. He urged business leaders to open their doors to youth talent.
Gobir also advised young people not to wait only for formal employment but to use their skills to start businesses and become job creators.
Earlier, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, described the forum as a strategic gathering with the common goal of unlocking youth potential in Lagos.