The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has urged young Nigerians to move beyond academic certificates and develop the skills, entrepreneurial mindset and capabilities needed to create value, solve problems and drive economic growth.
The Executive Secretary of LSETF, Mrs. Feyisayo Alayande, made the call while delivering the keynote address, “Youth, Nation-Building, and the Value Economy: Nigeria’s Next Chapter,” at Gown to Town 2026 held at the University of Lagos. The event was themed, “Beyond the Certificate: Mastering Value Creation.”
Alayande said certificates and professional qualifications should serve as a foundation for building practical capabilities rather than an end in themselves. She noted that the emerging value economy would increasingly reward people based on the problems they solve, outcomes they deliver and value they create.
She urged young Nigerians to see themselves as creators of opportunities through entrepreneurship, innovation and problem-solving. According to her, LSETF’s interventions have supported about 20,000 businesses, disbursed approximately ₦15 billion in loans and contributed to the creation of about 320,000 jobs by 2026.
The LSETF boss identified access to affordable finance, capacity building, business support and markets, infrastructure and technology as critical to unlocking the productive potential of young people and businesses.
Alayande also stressed the importance of practical training, citing the success story of Ayetomowo Funmilayo Elizabeth, who progressed from being unable to operate a sewing machine to becoming a trained garment maker through the LSETF/GIZ SKYE programme.
She challenged young Nigerians to shift their mindset from asking, “How do I get a job?” to “What value can I create?”, stressing that nation-building happens wherever people develop useful products, services and solutions.
“Nigeria does not need a generation that is merely waiting for opportunities. Nigeria needs a generation that creates them,” she said, reaffirming LSETF’s commitment to connecting Lagosians with finance, skills, markets, infrastructure and technology to drive enterprise growth and job creation.
