In my last article, “From Paper Certificates to Real-World Skills,“ I talked about something we see every day—graduates leaving school with certificates but struggling to find their place in the job market.
Many young Nigerians are stuck with degrees that do not open the doors they once hoped for. And it is not because they are not smart or hard-working. It is because the system they passed through didn’t prepare them for the real world.
The failure of outdated university curricula
One of the biggest reasons for this gap is outdated university curricula. Introducing entrepreneurship courses was supposed to help.
But let’s be honest, how do you run a business without experience or capital? That is why, today, there are plenty of “business owners” in Nigeria… but very few thriving businesses.
Many of these so-called entrepreneurs are just people trying to survive in an economy where stable jobs are scarce. As Yusuf Oladehinde, an educationist, puts it, “Not everyone can be an employer of labour.”
He is right. Before we push young people to start businesses, we need to first make sure they have skills that are in demand. If they gain work experience and later decide to become entrepreneurs, they will be in a better position to succeed.
The government knows this is a problem. Yet, real reforms are still missing. In public universities, where most Nigerian students’ study, outdated methods still reign.
Cramming for exams is often valued more than learning practical skills. After four or five years, many graduates leave school without the tools they need to compete in today’s job market.
A tale of two graduates
Take Mary Oyeniran, who lives in Makoko, Lagos, for example. She graduated from a federal university with a degree in mass communication. She had good grades, but after her National Youth Service, she couldn’t find a job. “I was sending applications everywhere,” she says. “But every employer wanted work experience or skills I didn’t have.”
She ended up learning graphic design through free online courses and started freelancing. But it took years before she could earn enough to support herself. “Why didn’t I learn this in school?” she wonders.
Then there is Sola, a mechanical engineering graduate from a polytechnic. He was lucky his school partnered with a local manufacturing firm. During his industrial training, he worked alongside experienced engineers.
By the time he graduated, the company offered him a job. Sola’s story shows what is possible when schools and industries work together.
Lessons from abroad and at home
In Germany, students can choose a dual education system where they split their time between classroom learning and hands-on work in partner companies. Switzerland does the same.
In the U.S., schools like Northeastern University run co-op programmes where students alternate between studies and full-time jobs. These models ensure graduates have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
Nigeria has its own version of this: Industrial Training (IT). But too often, IT placements are poorly supervised, or worse, students end up bribing their way out of it without gaining any real experience.
We need to take practical learning seriously. Internships and apprenticeships should not be optional extras; they should be central to every degree programme.
If students were required to complete structured, meaningful internships before graduating, they’d stand a better chance in the job market.
Rethinking vocational and technical education
Curriculum reform is not enough. Vocational and technical education also needs attention. For decades, polytechnics and vocational schools have been treated as second best. This attitude has created an army of degree-holders with no jobs while industries are desperate for skilled workers.
Finland and Singapore have shown how strong vocational systems can power an economy. Nigeria can do the same. We need to modernise polytechnics, equip vocational centres, and give students incentives to enrol in these programmes.
Skilled electricians, welders, and IT technicians—these are the jobs that are always in demand.
Public-private partnerships are key
The government cannot fix this alone. We need businesses to step up. Employers should partner with schools, offer training programmes, and create clear career paths for young people.
Some universities, like Covenant University and the University of Lagos’ Entrepreneurship Centre, are already blending academics with skill acquisition. But these are the exceptions, not the rule.
Imagine if companies in sectors like agriculture, technology, or manufacturing collaborated with universities to design courses tailored to their needs. We would see more graduates like Sola and fewer like Mary struggling to find their footing.
Changing the mindset starts at home
Even with better policies, progress will be slow if parents and society do not change their thinking. Too many parents still believe a university degree is the only path to success.
We need to broaden that vision. Whether it is a degree, a diploma, or a certification in a skilled trade, what matters is the ability to make a living and contribute meaningfully.
Parents must encourage their children to pursue careers based on interest and aptitude, not just prestige. A skilled technician today might earn more than a university graduate stuck in unemployment.
The cost of doing nothing
We can already see what happens when we do nothing. Each year, thousands of young Nigerians leave school, only to discover there are no jobs waiting for them. Some take menial work; others give up and join the “japa” wave, leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
If this continues, we risk losing our most valuable resource, our youth, to countries willing to invest in their potential.
Time for bold reforms
The path forward is not complicated, but it requires courage. We need to overhaul university curricula, invest in vocational education, and encourage industry partnerships. Most importantly, we need a cultural shift that values skills and competence over paper qualifications.
The choice is ours: We can keep producing graduates who are unprepared for the realities of today’s world, or we can equip them with the tools to shape their own futures.
