TEJUMOLA ABISOYE
Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
Tejumola Abisoye is the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), a Lagos State Government agency with the mandate to tackle unemployment by providing entrepreneurship opportunities and skills development for Lagos residents.
Teju is responsible for developing strategies, executing actionable steps, and ensuring sustainable government support for policies focused on tackling unemployment in Lagos, one of SubSaharan Africa leading economies.
She leads the team in fulfilling its mandate through three strategic delivery mechanisms; Loan Programmes, providing access to affordable finance to small businesses; Employability Programme, tasked with increasing the pool of youth with relevant skills and access to employment opportunities; and the Lagos Innovates Programme charged with supporting the technology and innovation-driven start-ups in Lagos State.
Sequel to her role as the Executive Secretary, she was the Director of Programmes and Co-ordination, responsible for the delivery of targeted interventions designed to enable access to finance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES). She also led the team in providing skills development opportunities and other structured interventions to boost job and wealth creation.
Teju believes strongly on the role of forward-thinking governments, institutions, and brands in providing an enabling environment for socio-economic development towards productivity and prosperity.
“Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are crucial in the building and rebuilding of any economy, it is the responsibility of every growth-engulfed government or brand to place a priority on ensuring that small businesses have the needed support and platform to build upon.” She states.
Teju’s passion for supporting small businesses is beyond the job requirement; it is an unquenchable pursuit that defines her personality. The recent civil commotion-inspired lootings and destruction of businesses in Lagos further unveiled to this undaunted commitment.
Within 48 hours of the vandalism, Teju was able to secure the commitment of her principals at the Lagos State Government and the confidence of private sector partners to launch an ambitious N2.5 billion Lagos MSME Recovery Fund that would benefit an estimated 4,000 affected businesses and entrepreneurs.
Teju is a Lawyer with over 14 years’ experience in development finance, project planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian projects, government interventions and investment opportunities. Prior to joining LSETF, she served as Director (Post Award Support) of YOUWIN! Where she was responsible for managing consultants nationwide to provide training, monitoring & evaluation for a minimum of 1,200 Awardees annually. She has also managed the affairs of a Non-government Organisation based in Lagos.
She has an LLM in International Trade and Investment Law from the University of Pretoria and an LLB from the University of Ibadan. She is also an Alumna of Yale’s Women Leadership Programme.