…Says value economy will reward problem-solvers, not just graduates
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, LSETF, Mrs. Feyisayo Alayande, has urged Nigerian youths to move “from certificate to capability” and focus on solving real-world problems if they want to remain relevant in the emerging economy.
Alayande gave the charge on Saturday at the 2026 edition of Gown to Town, held at the Julius Berger Hall, University of Lagos, with the theme, “Youth, Nation-Building, and the Value Economy: Nigeria’s Next Chapter.”
Delivering the keynote address, Alayande said the transition from university to the workplace should be viewed as the beginning of a journey towards creating value rather than the end of education.
She asked graduates to consider a fundamental question: “What happens after the gown, after the certificate, after the graduation?”
“It is a privilege to be here at Gown to Town 2026, a programme designed to bridge academic learning and the realities of the workplace.
“The wider theme, ‘Beyond the Certificate: Mastering Value Creation,’ is particularly timely because it asks a question every young Nigerian eventually has to answer: What can you do?” she said.
Alayande stressed that while academic qualifications remained important, they should serve as a foundation for developing practical capabilities.
“Let me say this clearly: your certificate matters. Education matters. Knowledge matters. Professional qualifications matter. But a certificate is not the destination; it is the beginning.
“Today, I want to take that conversation one step further: from certificate to capability, from capability to value, from value to jobs and enterprise, and from jobs and enterprise to nation-building,” she said.
The LSETF boss also called for a change in the way Nigerian youths are perceived, arguing that young people should not be defined solely by unemployment, underemployment or migration.
“We have to change the way we speak about young Nigerians. Too often, we describe our youth population through the language of unemployment, vulnerability, migration and underemployment.
“But our young people are not merely a demographic challenge. They are Nigeria’s greatest productive opportunity,” she said.
Defining the concept of a “Value Economy,” Alayande said it was an economy where people were rewarded increasingly for the problems they solved, the outcomes they produced and the value they created, rather than merely the qualifications they possessed.
“In a value economy, a graduate who can solve a real business problem has value; a technician who can repair sophisticated equipment has value; a farmer who can increase productivity has value,” she added.
LSETF’s Intervention
Highlighting LSETF’s interventions, Alayande said the fund’s philosophy was centred on removing barriers that prevented people from becoming productive.
According to her, “By 2026, LSETF had supported approximately 20,000 businesses, disbursed roughly N15 billion in loans, and contributed to the creation of about 320,000 jobs.”
She identified five major areas through which LSETF supported entrepreneurs and young people: access to affordable finance, capacity building, business support and markets, infrastructure, and access to the technology ecosystem.
On access to finance, she noted that LSETF provided MSME loans at nine per cent interest, describing finance as an important tool for turning potential into productivity.
“Money is one of the tools that helps people turn potential into productivity,” she said.
Citing the experience of Beneficiary Oluwaseyi Fakoya of Saja, she said the support enabled his business to establish 10 additional stations and employ more people.
On capacity building, Alayande said more than 30,000 youths had received training, but stressed that the impact of such programmes should be measured by what beneficiaries achieve afterwards.
“The most important question is not how many people attended training. It is: what happened after the training?” she asked.
She cited Funmilayo Ayetomowo Elizabeth, who participated in the LSETF/GIZ SKYE programme with no experience operating a sewing machine but was subsequently retained as a staff member and developed an ambition to establish a garment factory.
According to Alayande, entrepreneurs also require access to markets and business networks.
“Sometimes entrepreneurs do not need another loan; they need a customer. Sometimes they do not need another training; they need connection,” she said.
She cited Nicnax-Granola Loves as an example of a business that progressed from operating from a home kitchen towards NAFDAC certification and export opportunities.
On infrastructure, she highlighted the 360 Creative Hub in Yaba and the Abule Egba Beauty Hub as examples of facilities designed to “turn potential into productivity.”
She also referenced H&CB Bambino Barn, which she said reported that LSETF support enabled the company to establish its factory and employ a team.
Speaking on the technology ecosystem, Alayande said Lagos Innovates had provided support to technology entrepreneurs, noting that approximately 226 technology entrepreneurs received workspace vouchers associated with about 4,068 jobs in 2024.
She also highlighted Ibraheem Babalola, founder of Muster, who she said used workspace support to channel more resources towards hiring and salaries while developing a shared housing platform aimed at addressing housing affordability in Lagos.
Nation-Building Beyond Politics
Alayande said nation-building should not be viewed solely through the lens of politics or government, noting that ordinary citizens contributed to national development through productive activities.
“Every Nigerian who employs another Nigerian, trains another person, builds a product that solves a problem, pays taxes from productive activity… has created value for the country. That is nation-building,” she said.
She cited the Go Recycling initiative involving the Sahara Foundation and Wecyclers, which created recycling hubs in Lagos communities while linking waste management with income and employment opportunities.
“One person may look at waste and see something to throw away; another can look at the same problem and ask, ‘What value can I create from this?’ That is the mindset of the value economy,” she said.
The LSETF boss challenged graduates and young Nigerians to become proactive in identifying and solving problems instead of waiting for employment opportunities.
“Don’t only ask, ‘Who will employ me?’ Ask, ‘What problem can I become so good at solving that people will need me?’
“Don’t only look for vacancies. Look for problems. Every persistent problem is potentially an economic opportunity,” she said.
She also urged institutions and policymakers to create an enabling environment for young people to succeed.
“We cannot tell young people to be entrepreneurial while making access to finance impossible, tell them to get skills without understanding what the economy needs…
“Our job is to create bridges — from skills to jobs, ideas to businesses, businesses to markets,” she stated.
Concluding her address, Alayande reminded the participants that Nigeria’s future remained open to those willing to contribute meaningfully to its development.
“The next chapter has not yet been written. And that means something very powerful: you are the ones who will write it. Not tomorrow. Now.
“So to the young people of Nigeria: don’t measure your future only by the job you can get. Measure it by the value you can create. Ask not only what Nigeria owes you. Ask what you can contribute to Nigeria,” she said.
Other speakers also addressed the students, while there was a panel session to discuss issues surrounding life after school.
The event was attended by members of the academic community, public and private sector partners, as well as development practitioners.
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