Nigeria’s education system not meeting job needs — NESG

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The Nigerian Economic Summit Group has raised concerns over the widening gap between Nigeria’s education system and labour market needs, saying weaknesses across the education pipeline are limiting young people’s ability to transition into productive employment.

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The group said the country’s education system should be measured beyond the number of certificates awarded, focusing on whether graduates have skills that boost productivity and meet the demands of a changing economy.

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The Lead, Human Capital Development Thematic Group of the NESG Community of Practice on Youth, Oluwatobi Oseni, raised the concerns at a pre-summit dialogue themed “Future-proofing Nigerian Education,” according to a statement issued by the group on Wednesday.

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“He stressed that the effectiveness of the education system should be measured not only by the number of certificates awarded, but by whether learners acquire the capabilities required to contribute meaningfully to national productivity,” the statement read.

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He described Nigeria’s human capital challenge as a “broken education pipeline”, which required interventions from foundational learning through tertiary education, skills development and employment.

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According to him, weaknesses at different stages of the education system compound one another, with the country battling a large population of out-of-school children, poor foundational literacy and numeracy, declining examination outcomes and difficulties moving young people into productive employment.

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The dialogue, organised ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, brought together stakeholders from government, educational institutions, the private sector and development organisations to examine education quality, access, skills development and employability.

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Chair of the NES#32 Central Organising Committee, Ozofu Ogiemudia, said building a future-ready education system required attention to the entire pipeline, including foundational learning, access to tertiary education, curriculum, teaching, skills development and transition into employment.

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She urged stakeholders to move beyond repeatedly identifying problems and develop practical, scalable and financeable solutions backed by clear responsibilities and measurable commitments.

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Also speaking, UNICEF Chief of Social Policy, Dr Moses Sichei, called for stronger links between academic research and industry needs.

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He said postgraduate research, particularly at the MBA level, should address real-world industry problems and generate evidence-based solutions instead of remaining confined to academic libraries.

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Sichei also advocated the integration of entrepreneurship, innovation and digital skills into university education, alongside internships, industry mentorship and greater interaction between students and practitioners.

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The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, similarly called for stronger university-industry partnerships, saying universities should function as centres of innovation and enterprise development in addition to their traditional roles of teaching, research and community service.

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He said research should generate practical value through new ideas, policy evidence and solutions capable of supporting industry development.

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Fawehinmi also advocated greater integration of entrepreneurship into university education to enable graduates to create businesses rather than depend solely on formal employment.

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The Director, Programmes and Partnerships at the British Council, Chikaodi Onyemerela, said academic research should address concrete challenges confronting businesses and produce actionable solutions.

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She also called for stronger Enterprise Development Centres in universities and greater emphasis on innovations, inventions and patents as evidence of the practical impact of academic research.

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Representing the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Aisha Garba, the Director of Teachers Professional Development, Maryam Sani-Rangaji, said improving basic education would require better infrastructure, qualified teachers and sustained efforts to return out-of-school children to classrooms.

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She added that greater attention should be given to enrolment, retention, transition and completion rates, alongside improved foundational learning outcomes and financing for basic education.

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The NESG said recommendations from the dialogue would feed into its advocacy ahead of NES#32, scheduled for October 26 and 27 in Abuja.

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