Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State recently highlighted a significant challenge facing Nigerian graduates: the lack of skills necessary to drive innovation and compete in the evolving labor market. Speaking at the University of Ibadan’s 75th anniversary lecture, Zulum emphasized that many Nigerian graduates lack practical skills aligned with industry demands, which contributes to high unemployment and underemployment rates in the country.
Zulum attributed the issue to outdated curricula and insufficient emphasis on practical and entrepreneurial training within Nigeria’s education system. He called for a comprehensive overhaul of the system to better align with technological advancements and labor market needs. He also stressed the role of universities in fostering research that can translate into industrial-scale solutions. Drawing from his experience in Borno State, he shared his administration’s efforts to establish vocational and technical training institutes as a model for addressing these skill gaps.
