Lagos, UNDP launches training for 2000 youths in high demand sectors

Lagos state has partnered the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to launch a training for youths in high demand sectors.

The training which is the third phase of the Lagos State Employability Support Project (LSESP), is set to tackle youth unemployment.

The phase is set to train 2,000 young individuals specifically in the creative, digital, renewable energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors.

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Tailored interventions will also be provided to around 1,200 micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These businesses will receive support to improve their access to finance, renewable energy solutions, digital tools, and market opportunities, which includes facilitating links to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) regional trade network.

The LSESP phase three three is positioned as a blueprint for innovative public-private partnership to address current labour market deficits and key MSME constraints through skills development, job creation, and enterprise growth.

The project is expected to cement the state’s status as a leading hub for future-ready workforce development in Nigeria.

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This initiative is a concerted effort to significantly tackle youth unemployment and enhance the capacity of MSMEs across the state.

The programme, spearheaded by the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), is built on the substantial achievements of its first two phases. Initially piloted eight years ago, LSESP has already provided vocational, soft skills, and entrepreneurship training to over 8,000 young people in sectors with high labour demand.

Previous phases saw approximately 20 percent of trained youths receive vital start-up kits and stipends. Crucially, the project engaged 29 vocational training centres to implement integrated job-matching systems, successfully connecting over 80 percent of certified graduates with employers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Elsie Attafuah, Nigeria resident representative UNDP, underscored the initiative’s long-term significance. “Over the past eight years, UNDP has stood firmly with the Lagos State Government in advancing youth empowerment and economic transformation,” she stated.

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Attafuah emphasised that Phase 3 is “more than a continuation; it’s a bold step toward shaping a workforce ready for the future.” She added, “We are investing in young people not merely as beneficiaries, but as drivers of innovation, productivity, and growth.”

Lagos commits to inclusive growth

Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, commissioner for wealth creation and employment, Lagos state highlighted the state’s vision. “This programme has already proven its impact on Lagos State,” the commissioner noted, adding that the state is “fueling an inclusive and sustainable economy where every young person has the chance to thrive.”

He concluded, “With phase three, we are expanding opportunities for our youths and strengthening our MSMEs as drivers of job creation and innovation in Lagos State.”