The Federal Government and German development agency GIZ have emphasized the urgent need to bridge the gap between vocational training and job opportunities, ensuring that young Nigerians can easily find employment while businesses gain access to skilled talent.
They made the call at the Abuja Job and Career Fair 2026, where government officials and development partners stressed the need for improved career guidance, effective job-matching services and closer cooperation with employers.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, said the government was committed to expanding access to employment through public job centres and the National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX), a digital platform designed to connect job seekers with employers.
He said the country’s youthful population could contribute significantly to national development if young people acquired relevant skills and had access to meaningful economic opportunities.
Dingyadi, who declared the fair open, identified skills mismatches, informal employment and difficulties connecting job seekers with employers as challenges requiring coordinated action.
He said the fair provided opportunities for recruitment, career counselling, professional networking and skills development, with sessions covering workplace readiness, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and migration pathways.
The minister called on employers to look beyond academic qualifications when assessing candidates and consider their abilities, potential and willingness to learn.
Mrs Oladoyin Olayi, Organisational Development Coordinator at GIZ Nigeria, said the organisation had worked with the Ministry of Labour and Employment for eight years to strengthen employment services in the country.
Representing GIZ Country Director Dr Marcus Wagner, she said the partnership had supported job centres, vocational training, labour migration advice, business digitalisation and entrepreneurship.
Olayi disclosed that 11 job centres had been established across five states under the Skills Development for Youth Programme, with four additional centres planned.
She said the centres had served more than 65,000 people, over half of them women, by providing career guidance, connecting job seekers with vacancies and referring them to training opportunities.
On labour migration, Olayi said more than 31,000 people had received advice on regular migration since 2023, while over 14,000 had been referred to qualification programmes in sectors including hospitality, information and communications technology, construction, renewable energy and fashion.
She said more than 3,600 Nigerians returning from abroad had also received support to review their livelihoods.
Olamide Adeyeye, Country Head of Programme at Jobberman Nigeria, said physical career fairs remained important despite the increasing use of digital recruitment platforms.
He said many young people continued to face barriers to accessing online employment opportunities because of their location, gender, financial circumstances and limited access to digital resources.
He said bringing employers and job seekers together physically allowed candidates to demonstrate their capabilities, ask questions and establish professional relationships.
Adeyeye disclosed that more than 150,000 people had secured jobs through job fairs, career events and job centres in the past year, describing direct engagement as an important way to connect qualified candidates with employers.
He said employment initiatives must focus not only on preparing young people for work but also on ensuring that suitable opportunities were available to them.
Adeyeye urged participants to engage actively with recruiters and make the most of the training sessions, while encouraging employers to recognise the potential of candidates beyond their CVs.
What You Should Know
At the Abuja Job and Career Fair 2026, government officials and development partners discussed strategies to tackle youth unemployment by improving career guidance, digital job-matching platforms like NELEX, and physical job centres across the country.
- Positive Impact: Young Nigerians gain better access to career counselling, vocational training referrals, and direct networking opportunities with employers, helping them secure sustainable employment.
- Potential Challenges: Many job seekers still face barriers due to location, financial constraints, and limited access to digital resources, highlighting the continued need for physical career fairs and targeted support.
