UACN Property Development Company Plc has stressed the need for effective synergy between government, universities and development institutions in the quest to reduce unemployment in the country.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, of the Company, Hakeem Ogunniran, said: “The world of work has changed and new organisations are emerging in place of the traditional, functional and hierarchical business models. Business ecosystems are being transformed by sweeping global forces creating new paradigms and forcing new ways of work and working. New realities have compelled the need to think and act differently.”

He captured the reason why the Federal Government should synergise with universities, businesses and development institutions create a clear-cut national employability agenda that would benefit the Nigerian youths and end graduates employability issues.

Delivering a convocation lecture titled: “Beyond Education: Bridging the Gaps for Graduate Employability,” at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Ogunniran said this has become imperative owing to increase in Nigeria’s unemployment rate, as according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, “the unemployment rate increased for seventh straight quarter to 13.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2016 from 13.3 per cent in the previous period. Youth unemployment increased to 25 per cent from 24 per cent in the previous period.”

Regretting that past and successive governments are yet to put in place concrete framework that will tactically address the issues, he pointed out that the problems and challenges of graduate unemployment and employability are well researched and documented.