There is a need for youth to actively plan for their future through valuable mentorship and industry experience to develop successful careers, experts have said.

They stated this during a career programme at the Faculty of Environmental Science, University of Lagos (UNILAG), at the 2026 Job Fair and Career Day organised by Jide Taiwo & Company, Estate Surveyors and Valuers.

The career day under the theme ‘Blueprint to Boardroom: Mapping Your Career in the Built Sector’ had over 200 UNILAG students of estate management.

Speaking at the event, Adebiyi Ayeni, an Estate Surveyor and Valuer at Jide Taiwo & Co, charged the students to find mentors who would advise them on the right path to take and help them grow.

He also urged them to emulate the key principles to succeed in their careers. He identified them as honesty, devotion, dedication, innovation, integrity and others.

Ayeni described the initiative as an opportunity for students to interact with practising professionals, gain practical insights, and understand the profession’s expectations before graduation.

According to him, the exercise forms part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility and long-standing commitment to developing future estate surveyors and Valuers.

“We believe in giving back to society by nurturing the next generation from the cradle. We want students to know the profession, understand its opportunities and prepare themselves adequately for practice,” he said.

Ayeni explained that the firm’s advocacy and mentorship programme is held annually across different states to raise awareness of the profession and encourage students to pursue careers in estate surveying and valuation.

He expressed confidence that the lecture would inspire many students and possibly influence some to reconsider their career choices in favour of the profession.

Estate Surveyor and Valuer of the company, Bashiru Tajudeen, said the initiative aimed to catch them young and encourage interest in the profession.

He disclosed that the company will reward excellence with N500,000 each and automatic employment for the best overall graduating male and female students in the department. In addition, the second- and third-best graduating male and female students will be offered automatic employment opportunities, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to six graduates.

He explained that the gesture was designed to motivate academic excellence, bridge industry gaps and strengthen future manpower in estate management practice.

The Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, UNILAG, Prof. Olumide Adenuga, stressed the importance of job fairs and career development initiatives in preparing students for the evolving workplace.