Nigeria’s Biggest Problem Is Systemic Misalignment  – Expert

A financial market and technology expert, Abubakar Bello, has said Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a shortage of talented young people but a systemic misalignment between education, industry and public policy.

He said this system misalignment continued to fuel unemployment, underemployment and the exodus of skilled professionals.

Bello, a 32-year-old Ilorin-born technology professional and co-founder of MALhub, a tech company, made the assertion during an interview with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, Kwara State.

He called for urgent reforms in education, power supply and access to business financing to unlock the country’s vast human capital.

Bello noted that Nigeria possesses enormous raw talent but lacks the institutional, regulatory and cultural systems required to develop and retain globally competitive professionals.

“The system is not broken in one place; it is misaligned in several places at once, and those misalignments compound over time,” he said.

Bello identified the disconnect between university education and labour market demands as one of the country’s biggest challenges, noting that graduates are often academically sound but lack the practical skills employers require.

He also criticised what he described as a cultural obsession with celebrating success without emphasising the years of discipline, skills development, mentorship and professional growth needed to achieve it.

Drawing from nearly a decade of professional experience in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom, Bello dismissed the widespread belief that relocating abroad automatically guarantees career success.

He argued that global employers are more interested in competence than nationality, stressing that professionals who build relevant skills, acquire internationally recognised certifications and develop strong portfolios can compete successfully anywhere in the world.

“The biggest misconception is that a globally competitive career is primarily about location. The real question employers ask is, ‘What can you do?’ not where you come from,” he said.

While acknowledging that working abroad provides greater exposure, higher earning potential and stronger professional networks, Bello warned that migration without adequate preparation often leaves many Nigerians struggling to rebuild their careers from scratch.

He maintained that world-class careers can still be built from Nigeria, especially with the growing opportunities in the global remote work economy.