Distinguished Nigerians,
Nigeria is not suffering from a complete lack of jobs. The real crisis lies in a mismatch: there are jobs, but there are not enough people with the skills required to fill them. Unemployment is being driven not solely by bad governance, but by an outdated approach to education.
In today’s industrial economy, Nigeria desperately needs technicians—skilled individuals in:
- Plumbing
- Carpentry
- Drywall installation
- Welding
- Roofing
- Masonry
Yet, these roles remain vacant while we continue to import thousands of workers from India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana, and Togo to do work Nigerians are unwilling or unqualified to do. The oil and construction industries alone have hundreds of thousands of job vacancies waiting for competent hands.
Meanwhile, our universities continue to produce graduates in oversupplied and less-demanded fields such as:
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Library and Religious Studies
These degrees were perhaps sufficient in Nigeria’s pre-industrial or pre-colonial era—when clerical jobs and public service roles were in demand. But those days are gone. The economy has changed, and so must the kind of education we prioritize.
When the Dangote Refinery needed technicians, fewer than 1,000 qualified Nigerians could be found. The company had no choice but to bring in 11,000 Indian technicians. That is not a failure of governance; it is a failure of our education system and mindset.
It’s time we face a hard truth: not all degrees are equal. Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are in high demand. They are followed by practical fields like:
- Business
- Accounting
- Economics
- Law
- Education
The rest—often called “vanity degrees” in more developed nations—are being phased out globally, as they offer minimal economic return.
In fact, in today’s digital and healthcare-driven world, a non-graduate trained in practical skills like:
- Nursing
- Web Development
- Cloud Computing
- Ethical Hacking
- Laboratory Technology
- Blockchain Systems
…is more economically valuable than a degree holder in purely theoretical fields.
This is not an attack on education; it is a call for realignment. We must stop glorifying certificates and start building skills. The future of Nigeria depends not on how many degrees we print, but on how many skilled minds and hands we produce.
As Professor Osularu wisely put it: “Be spiritually sensitive.” Don’t let pride in outdated credentials blind you to current opportunities.
Let us stop producing graduates for a labor market that no longer exists and start preparing a workforce that can build the Nigeria we dream of.
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