Nigerian Recruitment Platform Aims to Connect 5 Million Young People to Opportunities

A member of Ringier One Africa Media, Jobberman is the most advanced locally-owned recruitment platform in Nigeria. They have the largest structured dataset of employer skill requirements and provide historical and real time insights into the skills deficits work seekers have.

As a partner within Young Africa Works, Jobberman aims to see 5 million young people, at least 50% young women, trained, and enabled to secure dignified work, with 3 million linked to employment opportunities across multiple sectors including agriculture, digital and the creative sectors within five years.

“In recent times, we are seeing Nigerian young women and men hungry for more and are constantly in search of ways to improve themselves. Thanks to Mastercard Foundation, we are now able to engage more young people across Nigeria with a specific focus on Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna.”

– Hilda Kragha, CEO of Jobberman, Young Africa Works partner in Nigeria

Adewale, second-year student at Lagos State University

Adewale, a second-year student of Lagos State University (LASU), attended the Jobberman employability workshop held in March 2020, in Lagos Nigeria. He was one of 7000 students at the workshop, which targeted students in their final year of university. Despite being in second-year, Adewale was determined to be a part of the workshop and gain skills he believed would give him an edge in his career. His intention was to spend his last two years of university honing the skills he learned at the workshop before entering the job market. Before becoming a student of LASU, Adewale worked for several years to raise the money for his university education.

In Nigeria, there are many youth like Adewale and their demand for good workplace preparation training far outstrips the supply. This is compounded by financial hardship, when students have to work to raise their fees—a further distraction from education.

Jobberman’s employability skills training program prepares students like Adewale for post-university life, equipping them with the soft-skills they need to secure employment and thrive at work.  Through his persistence, Adewale is now on the Jobberman platform and will have access to internship and further training opportunities, despite being a couple of years away from graduation.  He will be better prepared for a full-time role upon graduation.

Jemina, final year student at Bayero University Kano

 In celebration of International Women’s Day, Jobberman held a workshop in Kano State, in northern Nigeria. Jemina, a final year Applied Biology student at Bayero University, attended the workshop. Jemina is also an entrepreneur. She sells beauty products and uses the income to take care of herself and pay for school. She was so excited about the employability skills workshop that she arrived early to help the team set up. She said she could not miss this opportunity and she wasn’t going to allow anything to stop her from attending.

As part of the workshop, the group engaged in a salary negotiation role-playing exercise. Initially, most attendees were reluctant to participate. They did not feel comfortable talking about money. During the exercise, Jemina, like most of the young women present, was willing to accept a salary lower than the industry average. When the workshop ended, she thanked the team for teaching her how to “negotiate her first salary.”

Some of the other things Jemina learned through the workshop include CV and cover letter writing, effective networking, and how to conduct online searches for job opportunities. Now, the Jobberman team is working closely with Jemina and the rest of her Cohort to secure job placements with employer partners in the North.