Universities Risk Irrelevance Without Skills Revolution – NITDA DG

Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has warned that Nigerian universities risk producing graduates for a world that no longer exists, unless they urgently overhaul their curricula and shift away from a certificate-driven system to a more skills-based economy.

Dr. Abdullahi gave the warning while delivering the combined convocation lecture of the Taraba State University, Jalingo, titled, “Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Redefining the Future of Universities and Society.”

The guest lecturer, who was represented by Aristotle Onobo of the agency, said the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was already reshaping jobs, industries and societies, stressing that universities must stop measuring success primarily by degrees awarded and academic publications and begin focusing on problems solved, technologies commercialised, enterprises created and jobs generated.

The NITDA boss said the biggest danger confronting universities was not AI itself, but the failure to prepare young people for a rapidly changing world of work.

While citing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, he said labour market transformation could affect 22 per cent of today’s formal jobs by 2030, with about 170 million new jobs expected to be created while 92 million could be displaced.

According to him, the development would result in a net gain of about 78 million jobs, even as employers expect nearly 40 per cent of existing job skills to change within the same period.

He therefore challenged universities to transform from institutions primarily concerned with knowledge transmission and certification into centres of innovation, research commercialisation, enterprise creation and practical capability development.

Dr. Abdullahi stressed that certificates alone would no longer guarantee employability or relevance in an economy increasingly driven by technology, innovation and problem-solving.

He said the emerging graduate must combine academic knowledge with digital and AI literacy, strong human capabilities, creativity, resilience and an entrepreneurial mindset.

The NITDA DG also cautioned against viewing AI as a replacement for human intelligence or educators, saying the technology should instead be deployed as a tool capable of amplifying human creativity, productivity, critical thinking and problem-solving.

He challenged Nigeria to leverage its youthful population, expanding digital economy and entrepreneurial energy to become a producer of emerging technologies rather than remaining predominantly a consumer.

He called for stronger partnerships among universities, government and industry, alongside increased investment in technology transfer structures, innovation hubs, startup incubation, multidisciplinary research and experiential entrepreneurship.