The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has raised concerns over the widening disconnect between Nigeria’s education system and the demands of the labour market, warning that weaknesses across the education pipeline are limiting young people’s transition into productive employment.
The group said the effectiveness of the country’s education system should not be judged solely by the number of certificates awarded, but by whether learners acquire the skills and capabilities needed to improve productivity and respond to the demands of a changing economy.
The Lead of the Human Capital Development Thematic Group, NESG Community of Practice on Youth, Oluwatobi Oseni, made the remarks at a pre-summit dialogue themed “Future-proofing Nigerian Education.” The NESG disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Oseni said Nigeria’s human capital challenge could be traced to what he described as a “broken education pipeline,” requiring coordinated interventions from foundational learning through tertiary education, skills development and employment.
He noted that weaknesses at different stages of the education system compound one another, with the country facing a high number of out-of-school children, poor foundational literacy and numeracy, declining examination outcomes and difficulties transitioning young people into productive employment.
According to him, the success of the education system should ultimately be measured by whether learners develop the capabilities required to contribute meaningfully to national productivity.
The dialogue, organised ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, brought together stakeholders from government, educational institutions, the private sector and development organisations to discuss education quality, access, skills development and employability.
The 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 the transition into employment.
She urged stakeholders to move beyond repeatedly identifying challenges and instead develop practical, scalable and financeable solutions supported by clear responsibilities and measurable commitments.
Also speaking, UNICEF Chief of Social Policy, Dr Moses Sichei, called for stronger connections between academic research and industry needs.
Sichei said postgraduate research, particularly at the MBA level, should focus more on addressing real-world industry challenges and generating evidence-based solutions rather than remaining confined to academic libraries.
He also advocated the integration of entrepreneurship, innovation and digital skills into university education, alongside internships, industry mentorship programmes and greater engagement between students and industry practitioners.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, similarly called for stronger university-industry partnerships, arguing that universities should serve as centres of innovation and enterprise development in addition to their traditional roles in teaching, research and community service.
He said research should generate practical value by producing new ideas, policy evidence and solutions capable of supporting industrial development.
