50% of Nigerian workers see current job skills outdated in the next 5 years

Over 50 percent of skilled workers in Nigeria, and other global economies fear their current job skills will become obsolete within the next five years, as rapid technological advancement reshapes industries and workforce demands.

This concern, outlined in the report “Navigating Tomorrow: Mastering Skills in a Dynamic Global Labor Market,” highlights a pressing need for proactive upskilling initiatives to address the widening skills gap.

The report, released during the Global Labor Market Conference, surveyed 14,000 participants across 14 countries and revealed a growing anxiety about employability in a technology-driven future.

Respondents identified the swift pace of technological change as the largest disruptor of job skills, and globalisation as a factor influencing their readiness for the evolving job market.

The report stated, “In Brazil (61 percent) and China (60 percent), almost two-thirds of people thought some or all of their skills could become obsolete.”

“However, more than half of respondents in the USA (51 percent), India (55 percent), Spain (54 percent), Saudi Arabia (56 percent), South Africa (57 percent), and Nigeria (59 percent) expressed similar fears. Significant proportions of workers in the UK (44 percent) and Japan (33 percent) also shared these concerns,” the report noted.

The report also sheds light on countries where workers are notably anxious about the role of automation in their industries. China reported the highest levels of concern, with 36 percent of respondents fearing that robots or computers could replace their jobs.

This anxiety was significantly higher than in India (26 percent), Australia and Vietnam (25 percent), the United States and South Africa (24 percent), and Nigeria (21 percent). Japan, with just 20 percent expressing similar fears, appeared the least concerned about automation’s disruptive potential.

Seamus McGuinness, a research professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, described the findings as both a challenge and an opportunity.

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McGuinness emphasised the importance of collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities to address the widening skills gap. “Technological progress must be matched by investments in human potential to ensure no worker is left behind,” he said.

The survey also explored the factors hampering global efforts to upskill and reskill. It said, “While 44 percent of respondents viewed upskilling as their responsibility, a significant number cited barriers such as lack of time (40 percent) and financial constraints (39 percent).”

“Furthermore, 19 percent of participants felt that educational systems were misaligned with the current skills context, leaving workers ill-equipped for a rapidly evolving labor market,” it said.

The authors of the report highlighted the need for governments, businesses, and educational institutions to align priorities to facilitate skill development.

The report also disclosed that workers place significantly more confidence in businesses (49 percent) to support upskilling and reskilling efforts compared to governments (20 percent), NGOs (19 percent), or unions (12 percent).

“This reflects an expectation for employers to prioritise workforce development and take a proactive role in human capital investment,” it said.