TVET mismatch leaves Nigerian youths without employable skills

Stakeholders at the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Summit have raised concerns over a persistent mismatch between training and industry needs, warning that the gap is leaving a large number of young Nigerians without employable skills.

The issue, they noted, poses a direct risk to Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, as the country continues to struggle with a labour force that is not adequately equipped for modern industry demands.

Participants at the summit pointed to deep structural weaknesses in the labour market, where a significant share of workers remain in informal and insecure employment. They observed that many young people face difficulties transitioning from education into stable jobs, largely because existing training systems do not reflect the realities of the workplace.

Speaking at the event, NACCIMA Deputy President, Michael Olawale-Cole, who represented President Jani Ibrahim, described the skills gap as a “fundamental economic issue,” stressing that it goes beyond education and directly impacts productivity and national growth.

“Despite our large and growing youth population, there is still a persistent mismatch between the skills available and what industry requires,” he said. “A large proportion of the workforce remains in informal and insecure jobs, often with low productivity and limited opportunities for advancement, while many young Nigerians struggle to transition into meaningful employment.”

Olawale-Cole stated that current education and training systems are not adequately aligned with the needs of the real economy, resulting in graduates who lack practical and technical competencies required in today’s workforce. He noted that while TVET remains one of the most effective tools to tackle youth underemployment and improve livelihoods, its current structure limits its impact.

According to him, “TVET must be reoriented to deliver more practical, demand-driven outcomes if it is to play its full role in economic development.”

He emphasised that the private sector must take a leading role in defining occupational standards, supporting apprenticeship programmes, developing curricula and investing in skills development. In contrast, he said government should focus on ensuring policy consistency and providing sustainable funding frameworks that support long-term implementation.

He added that achieving Nigeria’s economic growth targets would depend heavily on the availability of a skilled workforce, noting that “industry must lead the way in shaping the skills agenda if the country is to compete effectively.”

Olawale-Cole also highlighted shortages in critical trades, particularly in construction, where employers increasingly struggle to find skilled workers locally. In some cases, he noted, companies are forced to source labour from neighbouring countries, a trend he described as unsustainable.

“There is an urgent need to rebuild local capacity,” he said, adding that NACCIMA is working with stakeholders, including international partners, to address these gaps through coordinated initiatives.

Chairman of the NACCIMA Education Committee, Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, said the challenge is no longer about policy design alone but about execution, coordination and scale. He stressed that while frameworks exist, they have yet to deliver measurable outcomes across the system.

He pointed to initiatives such as the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and reforms by agencies including the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), noting that although they provide a foundation, they have not yet translated into a system that consistently produces job-ready graduates.

“What we need now is a shift from fragmented interventions to a coherent, industry-aligned system,” Na’Allah said. “Qualifications must reflect actual competencies, training must align with labour market needs, and graduates must leave with practical, employable skills.”

He added that NACCIMA and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have a critical role to play as coordinating bodies for employers, particularly in areas such as curriculum development, apprenticeship programmes and certification validation.

Na’Allah also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration across government, industry, training institutions and development partners, noting that emerging sectors are rapidly reshaping skills demand and require more responsive systems.

On his part, Adesoji Adesugba described Nigeria’s skills challenge as a “failure of system alignment,” arguing that the problem lies in the weak connection between education providers, training systems and employers.

“We have the institutions, we have the training systems, and we have employers, but they are not effectively connected,” he said. “As a result, graduates are not meeting labour market expectations, particularly in terms of practical competencies.”

Adesugba noted that the current system remains largely supply-driven, with curricula designed without sufficient input from industry, leading to a disconnect between what is taught and what is required in the workplace.

He argued that meaningful reform would require institutionalised employer coordination, with industry taking a central role in defining skills needs, shaping training delivery and driving implementation.

“Without that structural alignment, efforts to reform skills development will continue to fall short,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of development partners, Programme Manager for Skill Development for Youth Employment (SKYE), Britta Van Erckelens, said no effective TVET system can function without strong collaboration between government and the private sector.

“Skills development cannot be driven by public institutions alone,” she said, noting that the OPS plays a key role in identifying both current and future skills requirements.

Van Erckelens added that industry participation in training programmes not only improves productivity but also reduces recruitment challenges, as businesses are able to access talent that is already aligned with their operational needs.

“Partnerships are essential if we want to build a resilient and competitive economy,” she said.

Also speaking, Director of the Business, Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology Centre at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tinuke Temitope, said the summit was convened to bring together private sector stakeholders and regulatory bodies to address key issues affecting TVET delivery.

These include curriculum development, certification systems, industrial activation and job placement mechanisms, which she said remain weak points in the current structure.

“The focus is on solutions,” she said. “The private sector must not only advocate but also actively support and ensure the effective implementation of skills development initiatives.”

With Nigeria’s population continuing to grow and millions of young people entering the labour market each year, stakeholders warned that failure to address the disconnect between training and industry demand could further deepen unemployment and weaken economic prospects.

While the summit produced broad agreement on the need for reform and stronger collaboration, participants acknowledged that similar commitments have been made in the past without significant progress.

Nigeria Startup News reports that the emphasis, they said, must now shift from policy discussions to execution, with clear accountability mechanisms to ensure that skills development systems are aligned with real economic needs and capable of delivering results at scale.