Nigeria is long overdue for a rethink of its higher education system. While many graduates leave university with certificates, they often lack the digital and workplace skills employers demand.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate among graduates was 8% in Q2 2023, with a combined unemployment and underemployment rate of 15.5%. Meanwhile, employers report that up to 85% of graduates lack basic digital skills, and 60% struggle with critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for success in workplace.
As a consultant and recruiter, I have encountered graduates who cannot draft a basic professional email or operate standard office software. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, these gaps are likely to widen, leaving graduates unprepared for the future of work.
To address this disconnect, Nigeria should adopt degree apprenticeship as a strategic reform in higher education. Degree apprenticeship combines university study with long-term, supervised work experience, allowing students to earn academic credit while gaining practical skills. Unlike short internships, degree apprenticeship is embedded into the curriculum and aligned with industry needs.
Currently, Nigeria adopts the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) for workplace exposure. While SIWES provides learning opportunities, it is often short, inconsistently supervised and students may perform tasks unrelated to their field of study. Degree apprenticeship, in contrast, is continuous, structured, and closely monitored, ensuring students acquire relevant, transferable skills throughout their degree.
Globally, apprenticeship-based higher education has proven effective. Germany’s dual vocational system is considered to be central to the country’s youth employment. In 2022, 468,900 new apprenticeship contracts were signed, and youth unemployment stayed below 5.7 percent, the lowest youth unemployment rate in the European Union. In the UK, 12,100 CMI management apprentices who completed their programmes in 2023/24 contributed a £75.4 million uplift to GDP. This suggests that apprenticeship could produce graduates who are academically qualified, work ready, and capable of driving economic growth.
To adapt this in Nigeria, universities must rethink how learning is delivered. Degree programmes should ensure 40–50% of learning takes place in real workplaces. Departments should co-create modules and projects with companies to reflect industry needs. A computer science student might build software for a client, or a business student develop a marketing plan. Mentorship should also be integral, with each student assigned two mentors: a university lecturer and a company supervisor. Mentors would review projects, provide guidance, and assist the apprentice to attract seed funding or incubation. By graduation, students would be entrepreneurial, workplace-ready, and capable of creating jobs.
A central portal should be created by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and NITDA, allowing students to register their course, skills, and preferences while companies post apprenticeship positions. Blockchain could be deployed to securely record placements, submissions, evaluations, and payments, creating a tamper-proof system. AI should be embedded to match students with companies, monitor progress, provide skill-gap analysis, and generate reports. This ensures transparent selection, fair evaluation, and accountability while minimising manipulation and corruption.
Student engagement should be incentivised through fair compensation. Apprentices should be paid, with employers providing stipends with payments processed digitally and linking stipends to project performance would motivate excellence.
Government support is important to attract employer participation. Incentives such as tax breaks, wage subsidies, and recognition can encourage companies to host apprentices. A firm hosting ten students could receive partial tax relief and a certificate acknowledging its contribution to skills development.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) should set standards and approve curricula. The Ministry of Labour and Employment must ensure fair workplace conditions and alignment with objectives. The Federal Ministry of Education should coordinate policy, pilot programmes, and scaling. To build public trust, oversight mechanisms should include digital monitoring, audits, and student feedback channels. An independent organisation such as PwC could audit implementation, funding flows, and performance outcomes. This would reinforce accountability, reduce corruption risks, and strengthen stakeholder confidence.
Systemic reform would be necessary to prevent resistance. Policies must encourage industry participation, funding mechanisms must support companies, and universities require capacity building to manage partnerships and assess applied learning. Pilot programmes could begin in priority sectors with potential to scale. Sector Skills Councils should be created to co design
