Build Skills, Not Just Degrees, To Curb Youth Joblessness- Olaopa tells Tertiary Institutions
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has called on Nigeria’s higher institutions to shift their focus toward equipping graduates with digital, technical, and soft skills needed to tackle youth unemployment and drive national development.
Delivering the 17th Convocation Lecture of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Olaopa said the nation’s growing youth population represents a powerful potential for national capital if properly harnessed.
Speaking on the topic, “The Nigerian Youth and the Challenges of Unemployment and Skills Mismatch in National Development,” the FCSC chairman decried the rising rate of underemployment and unemployment, describing it as a waste of human potential.
He emphasized the need for universities and colleges to adequately prepare graduates for the evolving job market and urged the government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector.
According to him, institutions must reorient their curricula toward emerging competencies driven by technological advancement, including digital, technical, soft, lifelong, and vocational skills.
Olaopa explained that digital skills would focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data analytics, while technical skills should include programming languages, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
He added that soft skills should cover critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, emotional intelligence, communication, and leadership. Lifelong learning, he said, should emphasize adaptability, resilience, and continuous self-improvement.
The FCSC chairman identified vocational skills as critical for the future workforce, listing key areas such as data science, digital marketing, social media management, 3D modeling, healthcare informatics, and automation technology.
Olaopa also highlighted the strategic role of universities of technology in addressing graduate unemployment through strong university-industry collaboration, promotion of digital literacy, and encouragement of student-driven innovation and start-ups.
He urged institutions to leverage government initiatives like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) digital literacy framework to produce globally competitive graduates capable of driving innovation and economic growth.
