The current education system in Nigeria is outdated, and more schools should now teach practical, job-ready skills like coding, digital marketing, business development, and financial literacy.
This was emphasised by Oludare Olowora, co-founder of Social Innovation Hub, in Lagos on Wednesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He called on the federal government to adopt a new educational curriculum in schools to ensure that well-grounded youths are produced and ready for the job market.
According to him, the federal government should step up its plans regarding youth development, especially through the educational sector, noting that this could boost skill acquisition.
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“The government has a huge role to play in youth development and empowerment, but unfortunately, in many cases, they fall short. If the government truly wants to see Nigerian youth thrive, there are some critical roles they should play,” he said.
“These roles include and are not limited to reforms in our educational system as well as the introduction of skill acquisition.”
Similarly, experts in the educational sector argue that the current curriculum is not the best quality that the country deserves. Because according to them, it has not been empowering graduates to explore the peculiarities of contemporary daily realities.
“Most youths only know about medicine, law, and engineering because of traditional societal beliefs. Schools and mentors should introduce young people to alternative career options (UI/UX design, digital marketing, data science and filmmaking, among others,” Olowora stressed.
He urged that students should be encouraged to attend career fairs, internships, and mentorship programmes to get real-world insights. Olowora said.
“Our education system should prioritise financial literacy, investments in vocational training centres for youths who may not want to go the traditional university route,” he said.
According to Olowora, formal education is not enough to learn soft skills ranging from communication to teamwork and problem-solving skills.
He also urged the government to support young entrepreneurs as part of its youth development efforts.
“The government should offer subsidised or free skill acquisition programmes in high-demand fields like tech, agriculture, and entrepreneurship,” he said.
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He said that lip service to youth empowerment programmes without workable measures to achieve them should be discouraged.
“The government should also prioritise access to funding and grants for the teeming youth population,” he said. “The government should provide accessible grants and low-interest loans for startups.”
He revealed that many Nigerians have great business ideas but lack the capital to start.
