The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has expressed worry over the widening gap between Nigeria’s education system and labour market needs, saying weaknesses across the education pipeline are limiting young people’s ability to transition into productive employment.
The group said education strategy should focus on whether graduates have skills that boost productivity and meet the demands of a changing economy, reports Daily Trust.
The Lead, Human Capital Development Thematic Group of the NESG Community of Practice on Youth, Oluwatobi Oseni, raised the concerns at a pre-summit dialogue themed “Future-proofing Nigerian Education,” according to a statement issued by the group
“He stressed that the effectiveness of the education system should be measured not only by the number of certificates awarded, but by whether learners acquire the capabilities required to contribute meaningfully to national productivity,” the statement read.
He described Nigeria’s human capital challenge as a “broken education pipeline”, which required interventions from foundational learning through tertiary education, skills development and employment.
According to him, weaknesses at different stages of the education system compound one another, with the country battling a large population of out-of-school children, poor foundational literacy and numeracy, declining examination outcomes and difficulties moving young people into productive employment.
He described Nigeria’s human capital challenge as a “broken education pipeline”, which required interventions from foundational learning through tertiary education, skills development and employment.
According to him, weaknesses at different stages of the education system compound one another, with the country battling a large population of out-of-school children, poor foundational literacy and numeracy, declining examination outcomes and difficulties moving young people into productive employment.
The dialogue, organised ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, brought together stakeholders from government, educational institutions, the private sector and development organisations to examine education quality, access, skills development and employability.
Chair of the NES#32 Central Organising Committee, Ozofu Ogiemudia, said building a future-ready education system required attention to the entire pipeline, including foundational learning, access to tertiary education, curriculum, teaching, skills development and transition into employment.
She urged stakeholders to move beyond repeatedly identifying problems and develop practical, scalable and financeable solutions backed by clear responsibilities and measurable commitments.
