Ayo Baje
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”
– Robert Greene
As concerned Nigerians keep deliberating on the best way to navigate the twists and turns inherent in our education delivery system, if yours truly has his way, secondary school students should be spending three days of each week on theoretical knowledge and two on practical skills development. These include skills such as tailoring/fashion design, hair dressing and carpentry. Others include building construction, painting, domestic farming, singing, acting, oratory and comedy.
This has become more expedient because in 2023, Nigeria ranked 100th out of 100 countries in Coursera’s Global Skills Report in terms of skill proficiency. Incidentally, the country also ranked low within Sub-Saharan Africa, placed 12th out of 13 countries. Other African nations, such as Botswana and Cameroon, outperformed Nigeria in the same report. This was an indication of a significant skills gap in the country. But recent indicators suggest an increase performance that should be built on. For instance, Nigeria showed the fourth-highest year-on-year growth rate for Professional Certificates enrollments on Coursera. This suggests a growing awareness and participation in skills development initiatives, which should be built on.
For instance, the unemployment rate in Nigeria stands at about 4.84% in 2025, according to Statista.com. This translates to an estimated 5.74 million people who are unemployed. Similarly, the youth unemployment rate is around 7.50% according to Trading Economics.
Given the current global influence of information technology, the expanding impact of Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and the soaring influence of climate change. Others include the increasing need to ride the freaky waves of economic survival, and the stifling space for employment, not only in Nigeria but across the globe. Yet, the country is abundantly blessed with rare talents in different fields of human endeavour.
Mention names such as Silas Adekunle, known for his robotics expertise and the world’s first intelligent gaming robot or Riya Karumanchi, who invented a device to assist visually impaired individuals, and the importance of skills acquisition in the development of the talents of our youth gradually dawns on us.
It is a similar scenario when the name of
Hassan and Hussaini Muhammad, who created a way to convert petrol, water, salt, and alum into hydrogen cooking gas, crop up. And out there, there are other young Nigerian inventors such as Khalifa Aminu (FM transmitter), Muazzam Sani (remote-controlled car), and the team behind the smart walkway light and automatic irrigation. The importance of skills acquisition cannot, therefore, be overemphasised.
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Put in its simple terms, skills acquisition is crucial for Nigerian students’ academic development, because it enhances their employability, as well as boosts entrepreneurship. It contributes to overall national development. According to experts on educational development, it empowers students to be self-reliant, reduces poverty and unemployment, and also provides them with a global perspective.
The impact and importance of students’ skills acquisition are amply deployed in Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State. There, students are exposed to the practical aspect of whatever course they are studying, such that seasoned professionals are invited to deliver the practical aspect of their theoretical knowledge. Such is the impact that engineering students have become problem solvers. They have constructed pavements, fences, and designed and built solid infrastructure.
Furthermore, the Centre for Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CATES) has come up as a key initiative at the same university. As a noble cause, it was established to foster practical, solution-oriented approaches to agricultural and entrepreneurial development within the university and the wider community. The skills-promoting aspect of it is that CATES focuses on areas such as poultry technology, aquaculture, cassava farming, and mushroom culture. It also operates a vegetable farm and a plantain farm on campus. All these explain why graduates of the citadel of knowledge become self-employed, with several of them kick-starting the process right from the University as undergraduates. All these boost their financial independence while they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
Skills acquisition, therefore,
increases employability, more so in today’s competitive job market. Having relevant skills makes students more attractive to employers. These include skills such as digital literacy, communication, and problem-solving, which are highly valued across various industries. Entrepreneurship programs teach them how to start and manage their businesses. This eventually leads to economic growth and improved living standards with an appreciable Human Development Index, HDI. By equipping students with practical skills, skill acquisition programs can help lift individuals and families out of the terrifying trap of poverty and ultimately reduce the unemployment rate for the country.
From a global perspective, many skills are transferable across borders. This is one good lesson learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerian students can latch onto it to participate in the global economy through remote work or international collaborations. It also fosters confidence in students, assists them in adapting to the global socio-economic dynamics, while instilling a sense of accomplishment in them, thereby contributing to overall personal growth.
Of great significance is that
A skilled workforce is essential for the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement. Overall, the skill acquisition programs contribute to building a more productive and innovative society. So Nigeria work on the report, which highlighted specific skill areas where it lags, especially technology and data science.
Nigeria should also learn from countries that stand out for their high levels of skill acquisition and development. These include Northern European nations such as Finland, Norway, and Sweden, which consistently rank high, along with Switzerland, Singapore, and Germany. These countries often prioritise education, training, and creating opportunities for their populations to acquire and utilise a wide range of skills. As rightly noted by Malcolm X: ” Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”.
