Education
Book Offers Practical Career Mobility Guides to Fresh Graduates
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
One of the many challenges fresh graduates from tertiary institutions face is finding a job and in some cases, this issue leads them into depression.
But an author, Mr Jonah Solomon, seems to have the solution to this problem and he has compiled practical steps graduates can take to have a job and build a career.
He gave the solution in his new book titled First Generation: A Fresh Graduate’s Perfect Guide to Starting a Career in Emerging Market.
With graduate unemployment in the Emerging Market averaging 7.97 per cent, according to a recent MSCI report, and about three million Nigerian graduates without jobs, Mr Solomon seeks to address this problem by empowering fresh graduates with practical guides to transition into the marketplace to start a career.
At the public presentation of the book in Lagos recently, the author said he leveraged his experience to start and grow his career in Africa’s largest city, Lagos to offer practical tips that most final year students, fresh graduates and those seeking to make real progress in their careers must never take for granted.
“This book is strictly about getting started on a strong footing as a fresh graduate who has now acquired a university degree or higher diploma and heading to the city to start a life with minted certificate.
“By the time you finish this book, you will be able to answer questions like what is next after your graduation, if you are still getting into school. If you are on the cusp of graduation, say you are in your penultimate or final year; you should have a fair idea of what you should be doing.
“If you have just graduated and looking to get started on a career, the practical lessons I outlined in this book can come in handy as a perfect guide,” said Mr Solomon at the book’s official public presentation in Lagos.
Earlier in a remark, the Deputy Business Editor of Vanguard newspapers, Mr Babajide Komolafe, who was the chair of the occasion, said the book was timely, as it comes at a time that graduate unemployment has reached a crisis proportion.
“I commend Jonah for taking the time to write this book. I am optimistic that young people who are leaving the university today will find it invaluable. A lot of fresh graduates are usually confused about where to start immediately after graduation and I think this book will offer that much-needed respite,” the financial journalist said.
Also speaking during a fireside chat, the Head, Operations and Experience, Jobberman, Ms Francesca Alabede said the book highlights important ingredients for starting and growing a career in emerging markets.
“I am happy that the book highlights the importance of soft skills in career mobility. This is because, apart from technical skills, fresh graduates must develop soft skills. Soft skills play a critical role in the workplace and most times determines whom employers hire.
“A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that 85% of job successes were because of well-developed soft skills, while 15% was as a result of technical skills. As a fresh graduate, apart from your technical skills, you need to develop your soft skills. These soft skills include how you interact with people, how you get your work done, how you conduct yourself, etc. Therefore, your technical skills are never enough and fresh graduates must pay attention to these,” she said.
On her part, the book reviewer, Ms Onna Okafor, said the book is a manual for not only fresh graduates but also anyone looking to make meaningful progress in their career.
“While this book is targeted at fresh graduates, I find it compelling for anyone looking to make progress in his/her career whether fresh graduates or practising professionals. The practical tips contained in this book are timeless and I commend the author for taking the time to give back to society by writing this book,” she stated.
The book’s electronic and paperback versions are available for purchase on Amazon or amazon.co.uk for a discounted price and in Nigeria, the paperback and eBook are also available for download on the author’s website, Paystack Storefront and Selar.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
