Dr Akin-Olusoji Akinyele, Group Managing Director, NewGlobe at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group Panel session ahead of the 2023 Nigerian Economic Summit.
In the build up to the 29th Nigerian Economic Summit(#NES29, a virtual gathering of subject matter experts tagged “Refocusing Education for Workforce Readiness” held on Friday, September 29, 2023.
Moderating this session was Mrs Rhoda Odigboh, Head of Africa Programs, Kazizi and among the discussants was Dr Akin-Olusoji Akinyele, Group Managing Director, NewGlobe as well as Professor Ismail Junaidu, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) represented by Dr. Chima Egbujuo, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Dr. Detoun Ogwo, Executive Director, Skills Development Practice and Mrs Eyitayo Ozavize Salami, Head, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The session is prompted by a startling backdrop of collectively worrisome Nigeria statistics: 62.9% of the Nigerian population (i.e133 million people) live in multidimensional poverty, 60% of the Nigeria population are under 25 years of age, 53.4% of the youth population is unemployed, Nigeria ranks 135th of 140 countries in graduate skills ranking, meaning graduates lack adequate workforce skills.
The event sought to identify and address the existing skills gap across all levels of education. Participants deliberated on strategies to ensure that Nigeria’s education system propels the nation towards a future-ready status with job-ready youths.
While speaking on the panel, Dr. Akinyele noted that Nigeria’s education challenges were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic threatening the potential of future economic growth and social development for the country.
The problems are not insurmountable, a strategy to leapfrog our education challenges must include Identifying the skills gap and how to incorporate Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) training in the current education system across all levels of education, driving synergy of economic transformation and individual success, leading to a future-ready Nigeria with job-ready youths, incorporating functional internship and externship model of practical experience in preparation for work readiness and Identifying the conditions within which corporations in Nigeria will increase private sector investment in Nigeria’s education value chain.
Dr. Akin-Olusoji Akinyele on private sector participation said, Private sector players like NewGlobe play a very important role in the process of providing quality education at scale, NewGlobe’s existing education transformation projects in Nigeria have been acknowledged as blueprints for overcoming Nigeria’s education challenges.
There are four successful implementations in Edo, Lagos, Kwara and Bayelsa running statewide intricate public-school systems built upon four core aspects: A digital learning platform, adaptive instructional content, teacher training and coaching, and 360-degree support. Within this holistic system are many sets of practices, such as school management, learning and development, instructional guidance, and feedback. Schools in this system are being transformed using technology and data, every school is transparent and accessible to its political leaders; decisions and policies are data based and children are learning at a speed not seen before in Nigeria.
At the end of the session, a call was made for the political commitment and will to carry out the necessary reforms needed in education to revitalize the workforce as a pathway to sustainable economic transformation and Inclusion through human capital capital development. Political leaders need to prioritize concerns around limited access to quality education, inadequate education infrastructure, insufficient funding and a shortage of qualified teachers. Praise was given to political leaders that have started to implement such far reaching innovative interventions in the education sector.
