UNILAG Students Drive Mindset Shift at Global Skillshift Conference 2025

Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) took centre stage in advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and global competitiveness as they hosted the Global Skillshift Conference 2025 on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Resources Centre (AMDRC).

The conference, convened by Mr. Abdul-Basit Ebunoluwa, was conceived as a transformative platform aimed at equipping young Africans with relevant skills, global perspectives, and practical opportunities to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He explained that the initiative seeks to reposition students from being passive job seekers to proactive job creators, while fostering bold thinking and real-world problem solving within the university community.

The event attracted a wide range of participants, including industry experts, academics, students, and members of staff of the University. Among those present was the Deputy Dean II, Students Affairs Division, Dr. Abdulganiy Ridwanulahi Iyanda.

Delivering the keynote address titled “The Untold Blueprint: How Africa’s Boldest Minds Can Write the Rules of Global Business,” supply-chain expert and founder of Kawal Technologies, Engineer Akin-Olugbade, stressed that sustainable success is the outcome of deliberate, consistent effort over time. He described the formative years of entrepreneurship as “silent auditions,” marked by pressure, uncertainty, and repeated challenges.

Drawing from personal experience, he outlined how founders typically evolve from generalists to specialists before assembling strong teams across sales, marketing, and technology to scale effectively. He referenced strategic partnerships adopted by firms such as Julius Berger Nigeria as practical examples of how organisations achieve sustainable growth while creating lasting industry impact.

The conference featured two panel sessions and a Career Clinic designed to address employability and innovation. The first panel, themed “The Employability Gap: Why Skilled Africans Still Struggle to Get Jobs,” examined structural and practical challenges facing young professionals. Moderated by Halimat Amzat, the session featured Olufunto Okuboyejo, Head of Digital Marketing/IT at First Ally Capital; Mr. Tofunmi Okedeji, Co-Founder of Axia Africa; and Nnanna Kalu, Cloud Solutions Architect at Huawei Nigeria. Panelists offered practical strategies for enhancing global competitiveness and bridging the skills-to-employment gap.

The second panel session, “The Smart Start: Building Dreams Without Sacrificing Education,” focused on balancing academic responsibilities with entrepreneurship. Panelists included David Mark, a Computer Science student of UNILAG and Software Engineer, and Odunayo James, a Medical student of Olabisi Onabanjo University and Founder of Virtual Media Agency. Discussions centred on time management, discipline, and leveraging education as a foundation for innovation.

The Career Clinic, tagged “Brand Yourself,” was facilitated by Kayode Balikis, Co-Founder of Job Bus Stop. Participants received hands-on guidance on personal branding, value communication, and strategies for standing out in competitive professional spaces.

A major highlight of the conference was the SkillShift Innovation Challenge (SIC), which showcased the creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities of young Africans. The challenge emphasised ideas and clarity of expression over prototypes, tasking participants with identifying real-world problems and proposing practical solutions under pressure.

Following a competitive session, Mr. Abdulwakeel Kesington and Oyeyipo Emmanuel emerged as joint winners. Toyobo Damilola secured second place, while Israel Olorunfemi finished third. The challenge was adjudicated by the President of the Provident Green Club of Lagos, Mr. Eke Njoku, who commended the participants for their creativity, confidence, and readiness to translate ideas into meaningful impact.