The 2025 African Workforce Summit (AWS), held in Lagos, brought together young professionals, entrepreneurs, employers, and development experts to discuss solutions to Nigeria's high unemployment rate. The two-day event focused on equipping attendees with practical skills and strategies for career and business growth.
Participants benefited from hands-on support services like CV upgrades, mock interviews, LinkedIn profile makeovers, professional headshots, and one-on-one career coaching. A key attraction was the pitch competition, where young entrepreneurs showcased their business ideas, with one winner receiving a $1,000 seed grant.
Joel Moses Babatunde, the summit's convener, highlighted the importance of skill-building for both job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs. "Not everyone will run a business, and that's okay," he said. "We need to support all paths to success by offering the right tools and mindset."
The summit featured several engaging panels and workshops covering workplace leadership, innovation, corporate culture, career development, and mental health. Notable sessions included a growth mindset workshop by performance coach Olakunle Soji-Oke and a salary negotiation masterclass by HR expert Emmanuel Faith.
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Sycamore Group, the event's main sponsor, reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment. Co-founder Onyinye Okonji stressed that solving unemployment requires investing in initiatives like AWS that help build a skilled and resilient workforce.
Other key moments included a generational panel on workplace dynamics and a startup resilience discussion featuring voices from across the African business landscape.
The event underscored the urgent need for continued investment in workforce development as a key driver of economic stability and growth.
