Nigerian Graduates are not Employable (THE BITTER TRUTH)

The rate of unemployment in Nigeria is on the increase. There are so many Nigerian graduates out there that are unemployed. So many Nigerian graduates have searched for a job for a very long time that they have given up on their search.

The rate of unemployment is no doubt high and alarming. According to a survey, about 47 percent of university graduates in Nigeria are unemployed. This is a high percentage of Nigerian university graduates which shows that something isn’t right at all.

This, therefore, brings us to one question; could most Nigerian graduates are unemployable? Well, this is absolutely shocking if it was true.

But the data said that most Nigerian graduates are not employable. The 2018 Graduate Skills ranking by the World Economic Forum rank Nigeria on 135 out of 140 countries. This is certainly a poor record for Nigerian graduates.

However, are most Nigerian graduates not employable and if so, why?

The bitter truth is that Nigerian graduates are not employable and I would explain this deeply to you.

Before I proceed deeper, be sure to read the next heading.

What does it mean to be Employable?

To be employable simply means that you can be employed. According to dictionary.com; Employable means available and able to be hired for a job, especially for long-term employment.

To be employable means that you have what it takes to be employed. This, therefore, brings us to the question; what does it take to be employed?

This question can also mean; what does the labor market require to accept one to be part of it? What are employers seeking?

Nowadays, employers need people who can bring about change to their establishments. In other words, employers are looking for effective workers that can deliver quality services. So if one cannot fit in into various employers’ requirements, it means that one is unemployable.

To be employable therefore means that you possess the following;

1.     Marketable skill

2.     Professionalism

3.     Problem-solving skill

4.     Innovativeness or creativity

5.     Good communication skill

6.     Personal development.

7.     Commitment

The above qualities are highly sought for by various employers in Nigeria. For Nigerian graduates to be tagged unemployable, it means that they are lacking one or more of these top qualities.

Why are most Nigerian Graduates Unemployable?

There are so many factors that make most Nigerian graduates unemployable. I would list them out for you to have an overview then I would explain in detail. Be sure to read them.

1.     Most Nigerian Graduates do not have marketable skills

2.     Poor education

3.     Corruption

4.     Most Nigerian graduates are not committed

5.     Most Nigerian graduates are not innovative

6.     The demand for Job experience.

Below, I will be unraveling these points to you.

1.     Most Nigerian Graduates do not have marketable skills:

It is funny although annoying how most computer science graduates in Nigeria struggles to develop a single application or software. It is also funny how most mechanical engineering graduates in Nigeria cannot repair or even create any mechanical systems and the list goes on and on.

Most Nigerian graduates do not have the marketable skill that would make them employable. Most Nigerian graduates only wish to gain paper as certificates after graduation but do not thrive to gain the relevant skill.

There are so many situations where Nigerian graduates do not have a single practical knowledge on what they studied in school. Only a few!

It is so unfortunate that this has been the trend; a trend that has been ongoing for a very long time.

This trend is especially prevalent among Nigerian graduates in the science and technology field. A high number of these graduates do not have practical knowledge of what they have studied in school.

2.     Poor education:

Nigerian graduates’ poor expertise can normally be blamed on the schools they graduated from.

 So many Nigerian universities only emphasize on theory without equipping their students with the necessary skill they need to thrive in the labor market.

Although this problem is not prevalent among Nigerian graduates in the art, social science and humanities field, it is highly prevalent among Nigerian graduates in the science and technological fields.

I have seen serious Nigerian undergraduates going out to learn their field better since some tertiary institutions are not able to deliver.

The poor educational system in Nigeria is the major cause of the lack of skill among Nigerian graduates.

3.     Corruption:

Corruption is also a major factor that makes Nigerian graduates unemployable. The issue of corruption in Nigeria is that it flows too fast and deep.

A lot of money is generated and claimed to be spent on various Nigerian tertiary institutions. However, every year, various academic institutions are still lacking in terms of quality services.

For instance, most engineering faculty in various Nigerian universities do not even have the latest technology equipment to train their students. Every year, the same obsolete equipment which sometimes does not work. There is money but some corrupt leaders are pocketing this money.

Also, there are a lot of employers in Nigeria that now practice nepotism. A lot of Nigerians are now aware of this. In fact, it is a trend which they termed “connection”. “You must have a connection before you get a job”. The issue with nepotism is that it is inappropriate and unhealthy.

Nepotism is unhealthy because it ridicules hard-work and commitment. As a result, the few Nigerian graduates might end up being unemployed.

4.     Most Nigerian graduates are not committed:

You may find this hard to believe but this is completely true. When I did my Industrial Training in the library with some of my mates, I did see a lot. We were about 25 students and only about 6 were committed. Some would come to work by 11am, sign off, and leave. Among these few that were not committed were those that were quite intelligent; they had good grades.

 Some of the staff in the library were also not committed. They would only work when the Head of their department is present.

This lackadaisical attitude towards work had made most employers view Nigerian graduates to be lazy therefore making them unemployable.

5.     Most Nigerian graduates are not innovative:

This is evidence in the fact that a large percentage of Nigerian graduates are seeking white-collar jobs. Most of these graduates cannot kick start on their own even if they have the money.

I have seen a Nigerian undergraduate who was opportune to make a lot of money from selling his father’s land. Although the money was in millions, it soon turns to zero. This is because of a lack of innovation or creativity.

Most Nigerian graduates do not have a smart investment strategy. They do not know how to create jobs for others even when they have the wealth to do so.

6.     The demand for Job experience:

This is the last but not the least problem on this list. As part of some of the requisites of some employers in Nigeria, employees must possess a 4 year or more experience.

This factor is truly a hindering factor to a fresh graduate. How can a fresh graduate possess a four-year experience? This, therefore, makes most Nigerian graduates unemployable.

Conclusion

I would love to know your thought on this. You can make your comment in the comment section below