Vocational education key to unlocking Nigeria’s demographic dividends

Nigeria is one of the youngest countries in the world, with over 70 percent of its population under the age of 25. This presents a powerful demographic dividend that could drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth for decades.

Yet without urgent and meaningful reforms in the education sector, this opportunity risks becoming a missed advantage. Fixing Nigeria’s education system is not just a policy priority; it is the foundation for unlocking the potential of an entire generation.

Experts maintain that beyond the federal government’s policy rhetoric, there are urgent need to amplify vocational and technical education in the country.

The pivotal roles of vocational and technical education in tackling unemployment, they say, cannot be overemphasised.
Vocational education has been an integral part of development strategies in many developed countries because of its impact on productivity and economic growth.

Christopher Itua, head of industrial services and development at the Institute for Industrial Technology (IIT), said vocational skills will not only transform Nigeria’s economy but will also elevate families from poverty.

According to a World Bank report, “Nigeria’s poverty rate in 2023 was estimated to have reached 38.9 percent, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, the world’s second-largest poor country after India.”

However, based on the most recent official household survey data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, 30.9 percent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per person per day

Nigeria’s population stood at 217 million, and of this number, youth account for about 70 percent (151 million), the ‘Worldometer’ report shows.
Industry experts argue that the main factor escalating youth unemployment in Nigeria is the unemployment and underemployment fuel by skills mismatch noticeable in the labour market.

Kelvin Bob-Manuel, senior communications coordinator at West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE), advocates that Nigeria should tackle this by encouraging youth to embrace technical and vocational skills, which will connect them to work opportunities, or even become self-employed, which his organisation is doing.
“We train youth on mostly soft skills, emotional intelligence, teamwork, time management, and critical thinking, among others, based on industry demand, and connect trainees with interview opportunities with business partners.
“We have a pool of businesses we partner with; we train, and ask companies if they have vacancies; then we connect the youth for interviews,” he said.

Omowale Ogunrinde, founder of Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy, said that the neglect of vocational and technical education is a reflection of the neglect of policies that focus on economic growth.
“Every sector of the economy needs skilled persons. From health, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and education, to even trading, we need persons who are knowledgeable and skilled to offer varied specialised services.
“The big question is how can our idle and unemployed youths offer services in areas where they have no skill or knowledge?” she asked.

Similarly, Kingsley Moghalu, the president of the Institute for Governance & Economic Transformation, said, “Vocational skills are crucial for meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving labour market and supporting industries such as construction, manufacturing, and services.

Without a skilled workforce in areas such as plumbing, welding, electrical work, and automotive repair, Nigeria may struggle to meet infrastructure needs, maintain industrial machinery, and provide essential services. This can impede economic development and hinder efforts to build resilient and sustainable communities.”

Moghalu emphasised that educated citizens must be skilled to be able to create individual livelihoods, community wealth, and national value chains and thus effectively contribute to the economic transformation and global competitiveness of the nation, especially in light of the fourth Industrial Revolution.