MARCEL MBAMALU
Nigeria’s labour market has continued to face a growing imbalance. Each year, universities, polytechnics and colleges produce hundreds of thousands of graduates, yet many of them struggle to find meaningful employment and fit into life.
At the same time, industries across the country continue to report a shortage of practical and technical skills. What then is the purpose of education if it does not translate into productivity?
This disconnect suggests that the problem is not simply about the number of jobs available, but also about how well the education system prepares young people for the demands of the economy.
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Perhaps the reason the German model approach suggested by Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare and a leading Nigerian education reform advocate, is gaining attention. His proposal, with a focus on the South-East, offers a pathway to bridge the gap between learning and productivity and to reposition skills development as a driver of economic growth.
Since Nigeria’s first university, the University of Ibadan, was established in 1948, and the first indigenous university, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), opened in 1960, educational systems have continued to expand in the country.
These institutions set a precedent as formal university education became widely regarded as the primary route to success, thereby shaping the broader tertiary education system.
Today, Nigeria has over 270 universities and nearly two million undergraduates. In addition, there are about 150 accredited polytechnics, including federal, state and private institutions, and around 90 colleges of education, originally intended to provide technical and vocational training, but now mirror universities, emphasising theory over practice. Students often focus on examinations rather than hands-on learning, and in most cases, this environment has continued to encourage malpractice.
Estimates suggest that Nigeria’s tertiary institutions produce roughly 500,000 to 600,000 graduates each year, adding steadily to the number of young people seeking work.
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At the same time, labour market data present a more complex picture of employment. Recent figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that the official unemployment rate was about 5.4 per cent in 2023. This contrasts sharply with earlier estimates under the previous measurement method, when unemployment was recorded at around 27 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, yet 5.5 per cent is equivalent to roughly 4.8 million Nigerians.
Under the current methodology adopted by the NBS, a person is considered employed if they worked for at least one hour in a week for pay or profit, including informal and irregular activities. This even means a large proportion of Nigerians engaged in minimal or unstable work are classified as employed.
Many of these employed individuals are in low-paying or informal jobs such as street trading, motorcycle taxi operations (okada), food vending, petty trading, domestic work, and other casual labour.
While these activities provide some income, they rarely guarantee economic security or the ability to meet basic needs. A significant share of the population is also underemployed, working fewer hours than they would prefer or in roles unrelated to their field of study.
Hence, in practical terms, employment, as currently measured, does not always translate into productive or sustainable livelihoods, reinforcing concerns about a widening skills mismatch, where graduates possess theoretical knowledge but lack the competencies required by industry.
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The consequences are also visible in the structure of the economy. Despite the steady output of graduates, Nigeria continues to rely heavily on imports for goods that could be produced locally, including everyday items such as toothpicks, mattresses, and other basic household products.
It is within this context that Mr Onyia’s case for a new approach to skills development in Nigeria should be considered.
He wrote, “Germany didn’t become an industrial powerhouse by sending everyone to university. They built something smarter. It’s called Ausbildung, a structured apprenticeship system where young people earn while they learn inside real companies.”
“A 17-year-old in Germany can train to become a mechatronics engineer, an industrial technician, an automotive systems expert, a precision machinist, or a medical equipment technician. They are paid during training,” he noted, “and they graduate with globally respected skills.
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Many of them end up earning more than university graduates. Over 50 per cent of German youth pass through this system.”
By contrast, Onyia argued, Nigeria pushes everyone into universities. Millions graduate each year, yet the country continues to import basic technical expertise. “We have degrees, but we don’t have enough skills.”
This is why he and his team are studying the German Ausbildung model closely, with plans to implement it in the South East. “The South East must lead Africa’s skills revolution.”
Imagine a structured apprenticeship system across Aba, Nnewi, Onitsha, Enugu, and beyond, where young people could train to become industrial fabricators, automotive engineers, robotics technicians, electronics specialists, renewable energy installers, and precision manufacturing experts.”
“Training will happen inside real companies, with structured certification, modern tools, and clear career paths. Not the informal ‘Igba Boy’ system, but a world-class apprenticeship ecosystem.”
Onyia highlighted the South East’s industrial potential. “The region already has the largest concentration of indigenous manufacturers and traders in Africa. What we need now is structure, technology, and certification. If Germany can power Europe’s manufacturing through apprenticeships, there is no reason the South East cannot power Africa’s industrial future.”
He concluded with a vision for Africa’s next generation. He said, “The next generation of millionaires will not only be software founders. Many will be master craftsmen, engineers, and industrial builders. And when Africa finally fixes its skills crisis, history may remember that the revolution started in the South East.”
The aforementioned proposal, however, is not the creation of something entirely new, but a transformation of what already exists.
A structured apprenticeship system would formalise training within real companies, introduce standardised curricula, ensure certification, and expose trainees to modern tools and technologies, bridging the gap between learning and production. More importantly, it would redefine the meaning of education.
A shift towards apprenticeship offers a clear answer. It aligns learning with economic needs, reduces the transition gap between school and work, and creates pathways for young people who may not thrive in purely academic environments but can excel in technical fields.
Beyond individual opportunities, a skilled workforce can drive industrialisation, reduce reliance on imports, and position Nigeria more competitively within regional and global markets.
Apparently, ambition alone will not be enough. For this model to succeed, it must be supported by policy. Governments must create incentives for companies to take on apprentices, define and enforce training standards, ensure certification meets international benchmarks, and provide infrastructure, especially power and industrial equipment, to support hands-on learning. Societal attitudes must also evolve so that technical careers are no longer seen as inferior to university education.
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In this moment, the emerging SouthEast Forum of Former Governors presents a unique opportunity. The forum has publicly endorsed initiatives it sees as beneficial to the zone’s progress.
Rather than aligning only with a federal administration that already has too many political supporters who have deflected for political reasons, such platforms should reorient themselves and, for once, think of the masses’ welfare, championing sustained economic goals like skills transformation.
Dr. Marcel Mbamalu is a distinguished communication scholar, journalist, and entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the media industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and serves as the publisher of Prime Business Africa, a renowned multimedia news platform catering to Nigeria and Africa's socio-economic needs.
Dr. Mbamalu's journalism career spans over two decades, during which he honed his skills at The Guardian Newspaper, rising to the position of senior editor. Notably, between 2018 and 2023, he collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Northeast Nigeria, training senior journalists on conflict reporting and health journalism.
Dr. Mbamalu's expertise has earned him international recognition. He was the sole African representative at the 2023 Jefferson Fellowship program, participating in a study tour of the United States and Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) on inclusion, income gaps, and migration issues.
In 2020, he was part of a global media team that covered the United States presidential election.
Dr. Mbamalu has attended prestigious media trainings, including the Bloomberg Financial Journalism Training and the Reuters/AfDB Training on "Effective Coverage of Infrastructural Development in Africa."
As a columnist for The Punch Newspaper, with insightful articles published in other prominent Nigerian dailies, including ThisDay, Leadership, The Sun, and The Guardian, Dr. Mbamalu regularly provides in-depth analysis on socio-political and economic issues.
