Kaduna Career Fair, A Catalyst For Change, Collaborative Effort — Deputy Gov

The deputy governor of Kaduna State, Hajia Hadiza Sabuwa Balarable, has described the recently held Kaduna Career Fair as a catalyst for change as it signified a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors to create an ecosystem where talent is recognised, nurtured and given the platform to thrive.

She made this remark during her special address at the Kaduna Career Fair held on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at the Umaru Yar’Adua Conference Hall, Kaduna.

While addressing over 2,000 participants and 250 employers of labour, the Deputy Governor stressed the importance of human capital development to the economic advancement of Kaduna State.

“Jobberman is at the forefront of connecting talents with opportunities, and I commend them for bridging the unemployment gap in our State. Well-developed human capital is pivotal to reducing unemployment, thereby lifting citizens out of poverty. Unemployment poses a threat to national security with increasing poverty. On the instructions of the Governor, all ministries, departments and agencies of the government have been mandated to put processes in place to assure ease of doing business by private initiatives in Kaduna,” Balarable said.

While delivering the opening remarks at the event, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology, Hajia Patience Fakai, said: “The ministry will retain the database of participants to continue to match them up with job opportunities.”

The charge to job seekers to become more technologically savvy was the focus of the keynote address delivered by the Chief Resilience Officer, Kaduna City Office of Resilience, Aaron John. He noted that the future of work is people and technology working together in tandem, not in opposition.

The significance of the Kaduna Career Fair was further reinforced by the Programme Manager, Jobberman Nigeria, Ahmed Alaga, as he emphasised that “Jobberman Nigeria has grown beyond private placement services to employers and job seekers to focus on human capital development. With projections that Nigeria’s population will double by 2050, we will either have the largest job force in the world or the largest criminal force. The choice is ours, and we must begin the work now.”

The Kaduna Career Fair, hosted by Jobberman in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and supported by the Kaduna State Government, featured an expert panel on the topic: ‘Skills and Qualities Employers are Looking for in Today’s Changing Job Market’, moderated by Dorothy Chukwuma, People and Culture Senior Adviser, Jobberman Nigeria.