Skills mismatch, poor soft skills, limited entrepreneurial skills, lack of practical experience and limited industry-academia collaboration have been identified as major factors that hinder successful transition of Nigerian graduates into the workforce in Nigeria.
Director-general of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA ), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde stated this yesterday in Abuja at the 2023 International Conference of the African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support, organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Oyerinde who spoke on the theme, “Cultivating New Frontiers In Employability Research for Skills and Career Enhancement”, said the unemployability of Nigerian graduates is a pressing issue of concern that demands attention and concerted efforts.
The DG called for collaboration between employers and the higher institutions of learning to bridge the gap and foster the overall development of the workforce and the economy.
According to him, there is the need to bridge the gap between the needs of industry and products of Nigerian higher institutions to provide work-ready talents, the alignment of education with industry needs which allow higher institutions to align their curricula, training programs and research with the actual needs of the job market.
He noted that higher institutions must recognise the critical role of employers as the receiver of their products and should be willing to collaborate to their mutual benefit.
He said, “A collaboration between employers and higher institutions creates a symbiotic relationship, where employers gain access to a skilled workforce and talent pool, and educational institutions stay current with industry trends, ensuring that graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills that employers demand.
There is no doubt that the synergy between the NUC, tertiary institutions and the private sector will serve to be effective in cultivating new frontiers in employability research for skills and career in Nigeria”.
