The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) has brought together employers, government officials, development partners and young professionals in Abuja to bridge the gap between higher education and employment, while creating new pathways for graduate workforce integration.
The two-day NJFP 2.0 Abuja Job Fair, themed “Building a National Workforce for the Future,” served as a placement-focused talent marketplace where employers engaged directly with graduates seeking opportunities across key sectors of the economy.
The programme, an initiative of the federal government, is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It seeks to tackle youth unemployment and underemployment by connecting talented graduates with structured workplace opportunities that provide practical experience, skills development, coaching and mentoring.
The organisers said the job fair was designed to help close that gap by facilitating direct interaction between employers and qualified young professionals.
At the event, senior economic advisor, Tony Muhumuza, who represented the UNDP Nigeria resident representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, called on employers to be active partners in developing the country’s future workforce.
He said, “This is not just a placement drive; we are building Nigeria’s workforce. This event is a talent marketplace where employers meet vetted, work-ready fellows across key sectors and convert interest into interviews, shortlists, and signed placements before they leave the room. Over two days we aim to engage up to 500 host organisations and move up to 1,300 fellows into active placement.”
Also, head of the Inclusive Growth Unit at UNDP Nigeria and NJFP programme lead, Ms Clare Henshaw, stressed the importance of ensuring that fellows receive adequate support during their placement period.
She said, “The expectation is that at the end of this event, all fellows can secure jobs. Today, we are providing the information that employers need to enable them take care of Fellows during the fellowship period to ensure they are well-guided, coached, and mentored to be the workforce that Nigeria needs.”
The fair featured workforce briefings, employer orientation sessions, sector-focused talent showcases, direct interviews and structured matching opportunities across sectors including technology and digital services, government and development, education, business and professional services, engineering, healthcare, environment and energy, agriculture and agribusiness, as well as the creative and social sciences sectors.
In his remarks, the senior special assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Office of the Vice President, Akubo Adegbe, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative beyond its current funding cycle.
He said, “The NJFP has been designed to address a fundamental problem that we have as a nation the bridge between school and the workplace.
“Government remains committed to this programme to ensure that beyond the funding that is being provided by the European Union, it is sustainable because we must continue to bridge the gap between school and the workplace and ensure we create opportunities for our young people,” he said.
Participating employers conducted interviews, explored placement opportunities and identified candidates suited to their workforce requirements, contributing to the programme’s broader objective of expanding employment pathways for young Nigerians.