Nigeria’s education system not meeting job needs — NESG

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has highlighted a growing disconnect between Nigeria's education system and the demands of the labour market, arguing that current weaknesses are hindering young people's transition into productive employment. NESG's Oluwatobi Oseni emphasized that evaluating the education system should go beyond the number of certificates issued and focus on graduates' ability to contribute to national productivity through relevant skills.

Oseni described Nigeria's human capital issue as a "broken education pipeline," which requires action from early learning through tertiary education, skills development and employment. The NESG dialogue, preceding the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, gathered stakeholders from various sectors to discuss education quality, access, skills development and employability.

Organizers urged participants to transition from merely identifying problems to devising practical, scalable solutions with clear responsibilities and measurable commitments. Experts called for integrating entrepreneurship, innovation and digital skills into university curricula, fostering stronger university-industry partnerships, improving basic education infrastructure and teacher quality, and aligning academic research with industry needs.