The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has urged young Nigerians to look beyond academic certificates and focus on developing the skills, capabilities and entrepreneurial mindset needed to create value, solve problems and contribute to the country’s economic development.
The Executive Secretary of LSETF, Feyisayo Alayande, made the call while delivering the opening keynote address titled “Youth, Nation-Building, and the Value Economy: Nigeria’s Next Chapter” at Gown to Town 2026.
Alayande said while education, certificates and professional qualifications remain important, they should serve as a foundation for developing capabilities and creating value rather than being regarded as an end in themselves.
According to her, the emerging “Value Economy” will increasingly reward individuals based on the problems they can solve, outcomes they can deliver and value they can create, rather than solely on their academic credentials.
She encouraged young Nigerians to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of economic opportunities but as active participants in national development who can build businesses, create jobs, develop innovative solutions and contribute to economic growth.
Drawing from LSETF’s experience over the past decade, Alayande said many aspiring entrepreneurs and young people do not lack ambition but often face limited access to the resources needed to turn their potential into productivity.
She identified five critical areas underpinning LSETF’s interventions: affordable finance, capacity building, business support and market access, infrastructure, and access to the technology ecosystem.
By 2026, LSETF had supported approximately 20,000 businesses, disbursed about ₦15 billion in loans and contributed to the creation of approximately 320,000 jobs, according to Alayande.
She noted that the figures demonstrate the potential impact of targeted interventions that connect people with the resources they need to become productive.
The LSETF executive secretary stressed that finance, although important, is an enabler rather than an outcome. She said sustainable businesses also require relevant skills, business support, market opportunities, infrastructure and technology.
Alayande highlighted stories of LSETF beneficiaries who have expanded their businesses, created jobs, acquired new skills and gained access to infrastructure and markets.
She also emphasised the importance of capacity building, noting that training programmes should go beyond the award of certificates and focus on developing practical capabilities that produce tangible results.
She cited the experience of Ayetomowo Funmilayo Elizabeth, who progressed from being unable to operate a sewing machine to becoming a trained garment maker after participating in the LSETF/GIZ SKYE garment-making programme.
Following the training, Elizabeth secured employment with the training school and expressed her ambition to establish her own garment-making factory.
Alayande further highlighted the role of market access, infrastructure and technology in helping businesses scale. She pointed to initiatives such as Job Hubs, shared infrastructure and the Lagos Innovates platform as examples of efforts aimed at helping young people transform their skills and ideas into productive enterprises and employment opportunities.
She urged young Nigerians to embrace continuous learning, develop practical skills and focus on creating measurable value as they prepare for the changing demands of the economy.
