The National Electronic Labour Exchange, (NELEX), through the Department of the Migrant Resource Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria has collaborated with other stakeholders to organise a Roadshow awareness.
The essence of the awareness was to inform the general public, especially young Nigerians who are job seekers, that the NELEX Job Centre has free services and training opportunities available.
The Roadshow took place from the streets of Obalende-Ikoyi, Lagos Island and some parts of Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos state, South-West, Nigeria.
According to the Head of NELEX Job Centre in Lagos State, Barrister Maureen Ovie, during her opening remark at the Migrants Resource Centre office, Ikoyi, said that the essence of the campaign was to create jobs and skills development for young people and return migrants, “the Job Centre’s mission is to create pathways for employment, reintegration, and skill development for young people and return migrants”.
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She went further to state that, “With continued support from partners like GIZ and others, the MRC is committed to scaling this momentum—reaching more communities, creating access to more opportunities, and transforming lives, one roadshow at a time”.
In the same vein, a participant from Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria, shared his experience during the Roadshow campaign, “Before today, I had no idea I could access job listings or training for free. I’ve already registered on the NELEX portal and signed up for two courses!”.
However, the roadshow team were made up of returnees, National Youth Corps members, and staff, who dressed in branded t-shirts with a scannable QR code linking directly to NELEX services. They hit strategic locations in Lagos State, including Obalende Roundabout, Yaba Local Government Area, Sabo Market, and the Yaba Job Centre opposite Queen’s College. Lagos State.
In addition; various Media Houses were present to cover the event, the Federal Road Safety Corps and a standby ambulance team were available in case of any incident but the event was conducted safely and without any incident.
There were Job seekers from Yaba Local Government that applied for job openings immediately via the QR code on the branded t-shirts during the Roadshow campaign. Public turnout was remarkable. Attendees eagerly collected flyers, asked questions, and scanned QR codes to register or access the NELEX portal.
At every stop, the roadshow became a live engagement centre, offering real-time information on vocational training, job opportunities, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPS), and reintegration programmes for return migrants.
The enthusiasm of returnees and youths from across Lagos Mainland highlighted a strong demand for empowerment initiatives.
Tangible Impact, since the roadshow, the MRC has recorded a significant increase in the number of individuals accessing its services.
There were applications for vocational training, registrations on the NELEX portal, and sign-ups for employability workshops have all surged. More returnees who witnessed the campaign, now see themselves as part of an ecosystem of opportunity, and young people are recognising the Job Centre as a critical gateway to their futures.
Olusola Akintonde