Sanwo-Olu unveils graduate internship scheme to create 1,000 jobs

By Adeola Ogunrinde –

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday announced plans to create 1,000 fresh jobs through the Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP). The initiative will place trained interns into employment, with 100 employers encouraged to absorb them beginning this month.

The governor disclosed this at the 2025 Stakeholders’ Forum organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment in Ikeja. The forum, themed “Passion to Prosperity – Unlocking Youth Potential in Lagos”, brought together public and private sector participants to explore opportunities for youth-driven prosperity.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Hundeyin, Sanwo-Olu said the forum was about sharing ideas and generating policy suggestions to harness youth potential. She highlighted Lagos as a hub of innovation, with creativity flourishing in technology, fashion, music, and agriculture across the state.

Hundeyin stressed that passion alone is insufficient for success, calling for strategic leadership that nurtures talent through access to education, skills, mentorship, funding, and supportive ecosystems. She said entrepreneurship must be encouraged not just as an alternative to jobs but as a driver of innovation and wealth creation.

According to her, over 200 companies participated in the forum, while 100 employers were actively involved in the 2025 Lagos State Job Fair. She disclosed that 1,000 GIPP-trained interns will be successfully placed from September. The governor also urged corporate leaders, recruitment agencies, civil society, and faith-based organizations to partner with government in creating opportunities for youth.

Mallam Ahmed Gobir, President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), charged stakeholders to amplify youth potential, noting that job creation is economic survival rather than charity. “Youth empowerment is not CSR; it is national security. Every idle youth is an opportunity lost; every empowered youth is GDP gained,” he said.

In his welcome address, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, described the forum as a strategic convergence of visionaries committed to transforming youth passion into prosperity. He noted that Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has disbursed over ₦30 billion to support SMEs and create jobs, while GIPP has successfully placed thousands of graduates in meaningful roles.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Adebayo Olayinka, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to wealth creation, youth empowerment, and sustainable employment. He assured participants that inputs from the forum would be studied and implemented to serve Lagosians better.