For any economy to achieve sustainable economic development, there must be innovation, industry and people. Innovation refers to the provision of solutions to societal challenges. Industry pushes the bounds of mediocrity and strives for excellence – the exertion and tenacity required to make better. Without the people, none of the others would be needed. The people possess the skills to which innovation and industry are applied.
The skills of a nation’s people determine the quality of its infrastructure and the degree to which it advances. When the level of available skill does not match the requirements for building new infrastructure or maintaining existing ones, the country must make investments and create roles to put its people back on the path of progress. Because skilled labour is a critical consideration for global investment and urban development, having the right people with the right skills for the right jobs has never been more important. Nigeria is not lacking in industry and innovation, seeing the diligence and doggedness applied to remaining profitable within the current economic climate. The challenge lies with the shortage of skills – a widening gap, especially in technical skills – required to move the country from where it is to where it has to be.
Nigeria’s skills gap and the implications for the country’s infrastructure have been documented over the years with little focus on the opportunities herein. The short-term consequences of such shortages are difficult to miss and the future outcomes, easy to forecast. The question, then, is what solutions can be proffered using available resources, institutions and willpower? With a current population of over 170 million people, forecasted by the UN to double by 2050, Nigeria is blessed with a skill potential that must be harnessed for its overall development.
Bridging the skills gap will require the efforts of multiple economic agents – individuals, governments at all levels, the private sector and educational institutions. It must be deliberate and not left to chance, beginning with dialogue. This conversation about bridging the skills and infrastructure gaps and the best approaches to tackling unemployment should not be left in the hands of only a few. Neither should it end there – as a conversation. All participants must seize the opportunity to engage fully, whether by creating the policies for a favourable environment, as seen in the government’s local content act or by abiding by those policies in providing resources or innovative opportunities for skill development – classic examples are the internships many organisations, including multinationals, like Microsoft, GE and Oando, provide. Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach, the dialogue opens up an avenue for understanding the peculiarities of the Nigerian landscape and its sectoral situations. Yet, the efforts of public and private sector players in closing the skills gap may not yield positively if the core of national training – the education system – is not redefined.
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The current skills gap has its roots in the declining quality of education and a misalignment between curriculum and industry need, resulting in graduates unequipped for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Because education lies at the heart of every country’s intellectual development, it cannot be relegated to the shadows. Whether traditional, vocational or a combination of both, Nigeria’s education policies should be thoroughly examined to identify the loopholes, as well as the areas in which new systems may be adopted. The evolving world of work and advancements in technology necessitate a re-consideration for new approaches to delivering training, especially in the more technical fields of employment. Already, we can see the current administration’s commitment to improving the quality of education with its recently launched “Teach Nigeria” programme. Dedicated to infusing a new breed of university-taught educators into the secondary school system, the programme will provide some solution to both the employment and educational challenges of the country.
However, if we are to achieve the goal of becoming one of the world’s largest economies by the year 2020, individuals and Institutions must be encouraged to invest considerably in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Secondary and tertiary educational institutions must deliberately encourage students’ leaning-to and love for the technical courses. The media, as well, can play an active role in depicting the successes and positive impact of a career in STEM fields on the country, as parents support children in the rigours of the study.
Again, it begins with dialogue, which can be in any form, initiated by any organisation within the private or public sectors. Already, multinational institutions like GE have begun the processes for conversation. Equipped with its experience of helping governments across countries facilitate infrastructural development and a commitment to building a world that works, GE commissioned a report to shed light on the challenges and opportunities in partnering to achieve this objective in Nigeria. As part of its global white paper series on ‘The Future of Work’, the report sets the scene for discussions and makes recommendations on how we can start to bridge the gap. With contributions from over 70 human resource managers and executives, it gives insight into the makings of a highly skilled workforce, especially in four key sectors – oil and gas, health, transport and power.
The opportunities for sustainable development abound, but we must understand the urgency and act with renewed vigour to ensure that we are creating a sustainable future for the workforce of today and the millions who will join in the coming years. Then, the beauty of the Nigerian mind will shine through as innovation, industry and skill merge to achieve the vision of a country rife with limitless potential.
Lazarus Angbazo
Dr. Angbazo is president/CEO, GE Nigeria.