Nigeria is grappling with a worsening skills crisis that threatens the country’s economic progress and industrial competitiveness. A growing deficit in technical, digital, and vocational expertise has forced many industries to rely heavily on foreign workers, draining local job opportunities and increasing capital flight.
Bolaji Nagode, the Director-General of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), raised the alarm during a stakeholder event in Abuja. He warned that the power sector—and particularly the renewable energy sub-sector—is facing a dangerous shortfall in qualified professionals.
“In the renewable energy industry alone, we are not even halfway to meeting the human capital requirements,” Nagode stated. “We need to urgently equip young Nigerians with the necessary skills to take control of this critical segment.”
Industries Struggling to Find Local Talent
Nagode’s concerns reflect a broader national trend. Across several sectors, employers are encountering increasing difficulty in finding skilled Nigerian professionals to fill critical roles. In one striking example, a local manufacturing company reportedly spent months in 2023 searching for two qualified chemical ecologists without success. The company eventually hired professionals from India, citing a complete lack of available local talent.
The skills shortage extends to Nigeria’s high-profile refinery sector as well. Aliko Dangote, whose $20 billion refinery project is Africa’s largest, had to hire approximately 11,000 skilled workers from India due to a lack of suitably trained Nigerians. This reliance on foreign labor highlights the severity of the skills gap.
Billions Lost Annually from Digital Skills Deficit
The economic toll of Nigeria’s underdeveloped skill base is enormous. Estimates show that deficiencies in the digital economy alone are costing the country as much as $11 billion annually in lost productivity and investment potential.
According to Coursera’s 2024 Global Skills Proficiency Report, Nigeria ranks 105th globally and 12th among 13 sub-Saharan African countries assessed. The Global Knowledge Index of 2021 places Nigeria at a lowly 124th out of 154 nations in terms of knowledge infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for intervention.
Shockingly, recent estimates suggest that 60% of Nigerian university graduates do not possess the practical skills needed for the labor market. The situation is even more alarming in rapidly evolving fields like Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, where proficiency levels remain woefully inadequate.
Foreign Artisans Dominate Skilled Trades
The problem isn’t confined to high-tech sectors. In construction and home improvement industries, trades such as plumbing, tiling, and carpentry have also become dominated by foreign workers from Togo, Benin Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These artisans, often viewed as more skilled and precise than their Nigerian counterparts, command higher fees and consistently win contracts that should ideally go to local workers. While they bring value, their dominance also leads to a steady outflow of capital that could otherwise stimulate Nigeria’s economy.
Skills Gap Fuels Unemployment and Insecurity
Beyond economic implications, the skills crisis contributes directly to social instability. With millions of unemployed and under-skilled youths, many young Nigerians turn to illicit means of survival, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, and online scams popularly known as “Yahoo-Yahoo.”
The Federal Government has implemented various youth empowerment schemes, but these initiatives often lack substance and fail to impart practical, marketable skills. Critics argue that such programs amount to short-term political gestures rather than sustainable capacity-building strategies.
Vocational Training and Education Reform Are Vital
Experts agree that solving the skills gap will require a comprehensive rethinking of Nigeria’s education policy. The country must move away from a system that prioritizes theoretical knowledge over technical know-how.
A particularly troubling statistic from UNESCO shows that over 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school—the second-highest figure globally. Many of these children are working as street hawkers, motor park attendants, or worse, becoming targets for recruitment by terrorist groups.
Government at all levels must prioritize returning children to the classroom and ensuring they have access to basic education. Equally important is investing in vocational training centers that can equip young people with skills in carpentry, tailoring, auto mechanics, and other trades.
Changing the Perception of Blue-Collar Work
Part of the challenge lies in the societal perception that manual labor or blue-collar professions are inferior or unprofitable. As a result, many young Nigerians overlook viable careers in skilled trades despite their high demand.
Experts are calling for a cultural shift. With the right training and support, technical skills can offer sustainable income and economic independence. Public awareness campaigns and government-led partnerships with industries could help restore dignity to trades that are currently undervalued.
Policy Missteps Are Worsening the Problem
Policy contradictions have also deepened the crisis. For instance, the government has converted several technical colleges into universities in recent years, further depleting the pipeline of technically trained graduates.
Rather than changing the names and mandates of these institutions, authorities should focus on modernizing facilities, improving curricula, and aligning training with real-world industry needs. Upgrading polytechnics and technical colleges, instead of abandoning them, would yield far better results.
Conclusion: Time for Urgent National Action
Nigeria’s skills shortage is a national emergency with far-reaching consequences. From lost revenue and economic stagnation to rising crime and foreign labor dependency, the costs are immense. However, with the right policies, targeted investments, and a collective shift in societal attitudes, the country can reverse this trend.
What is urgently needed now is a multi-pronged strategy that includes revamping technical education, incentivizing private-sector involvement in skills training, and restoring respect for vocational professions. Only then can Nigeria build a workforce capable of driving sustainable growth and development.
