Ogun traditional ruler laments mismatch between skills of university graduates and requirements of the workforce

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The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola, on Thursday lamented the declining relevance of graduates produced by Nigerian tertiary institutions, saying many lack the knowledge and practical skills required to meet industry needs.

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The monarch attributed the development to a widening disconnect between academia and industry, warning that employers had, for decades, struggled to recruit graduates who could seamlessly fit into the workplace.

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Oba Matemilola said this in Abeokuta during the unveiling of a 10 Gigabits-per-second fibre optic infrastructure and smart campus initiative at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in partnership with the Advanced Technological Incubation and Research Centre.

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According to him, the project is designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and industry through practical learning, research, innovation and commercialisation.

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He said, “One of the key problems we have, particularly in Nigeria, is that our institutions are not properly equipped to carry out research the way it should be done, compared with our counterparts in the West and South Asia.

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“And with that, we are rapidly losing ground compared with our colleagues in the West and South Asia. So, with this research work that we’ll be able to do, we hope to compete with the rest of the world.

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“That’s one of the reasons why many of the big companies in Nigeria do not relate to what we usually describe as the ‘town and gown’ relationship. The gap that has been created between the town and gown is because many industries do not find relevance in the work being done in our institutions. And I’ve been in that position before.”

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Matemilola expressed optimism that the newly unveiled digital infrastructure would help reverse the trend by exposing students to practical learning and supporting research capable of solving real-life industrial problems.

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The traditional ruler said the 10Gbps fibre optic infrastructure would transform MAPOLY into one of the most technologically advanced campuses in West Africa if properly utilised.

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Earlier, the Rector of MAPOLY, Dr Babatunde Jolaoso, described the facility as a milestone that would enhance the institution’s global competitiveness.

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