Nearly 60 per cent of employers in Nigeria believe university and polytechnic graduates are not ready for the workplace, according to a new report by human capital firm Proten International. The findings highlight a deepening mismatch between what students are taught and the skills businesses urgently need.

The report, unveiled at an industry roundtable in Ikeja, Lagos, shows that more than 55 per cent of Nigerian graduates are employed in roles unrelated to their fields of study. Employers surveyed pointed to serious deficiencies in communication, teamwork, technical competence and digital literacy, even among top-degree holders.

“Findings reveal significant misalignment between academic training and the competencies demanded by modern workplaces,” the report noted, warning that soft skills and practical experience remain “highly desired but underdeveloped” across most disciplines.

Managing Director of Proten International, Deborah Yemi-Oladayo, described the challenge as “multidimensional,” arguing that reforms must go beyond rewriting course outlines. “If you redesign the curriculum, it means you are improving it. Then you need to retrain the people who are going to train the students,” she said, questioning how much is currently invested in lecturer development.

“How many of our lecturers get enough training? If we’re expecting our lecturers to do much more for our students, we need to give them that level of training so that they will be able to transfer it in the classroom. It’s not enough to expect lecturers to do magic. They can only give what they have,” she added.

While calling for systemic change, Yemi-Oladayo urged undergraduates to take responsibility for their own growth. She advised students to tap into free and low-cost online learning platforms, build portfolios and seek mentorship instead of limiting their online activity to social media. “They have a part to play. Nobody will do it for them,” she said.

Founder of Treford Africa, Harry Enabolo, stressed that experience remains the fastest route to employability. “Experience prepares you for a job faster than almost anything you learn. The best learning still happens on the job,” he said, encouraging students to pursue internships, volunteer roles and projects with startups.

Enabolo called for a more flexible education system that allows students to combine academic work with real-world exposure without jeopardising their grades, arguing that early immersion in work environments makes the transition into the labour market far smoother.

The roundtable brought together representatives from government, the private sector and academia, all grappling with how to align Nigeria’s classrooms with its rapidly evolving economy.