Degrees vs Skills: Can Nigeria Break the Stigma Fueling Youth Unemployment?
Hussaini Ibrahim 
While graduates face joblessness, skilled and tech-savvy youths are thriving—reflecting Nigeria’s degrees versus skills paradox. (Image credit: AHR)
KANO, Nigeria – Nigeria stands at a crossroads. Its universities continue to churn out thousands of graduates each year, yet the promise of secure employment is slipping further away. With the overall unemployment rate at 5.3%, youth unemployment climbing to 8.4%, and nearly 9% of graduates still jobless, the gap between education and opportunity has never been more glaring. Even more troubling, 14.4% of Nigerian youths fall into the NEET category—neither in education, employment, nor training.
In this report, Hussaini Ibrahim, examines how the obsession with degrees, coupled with society’s stigma against vocational and digital skills, is driving Nigeria’s employment crisis—and how young people are fighting back with resilience, innovation, and adaptability.
A Graduate in Limbo: Ismail’s Struggle
On a bustling street in Farawa Quarters, Kano, Ismail Abdulkadir arranges bags of rice and beans in his modest shop. A Chemistry graduate from Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Ismail once dreamed of working in a laboratory. Three years later, his reality is far different.
“I graduated with a good degree, but finding a job has been harder than I imagined,” he admits. “I’ve applied to dozens of companies, but most say they want experience I never had the chance to get.”
Society’s perception of vocational work haunts him. “People ask, ‘Why become a mechanic or tailor when you have a degree?’ But when I see skilled workers earning and thriving, I wonder if I should have learned a trade.”
Ismail once tried motorcycle repairs but abandoned it when the economy worsened. Now managing a foodstuff shop owned by his uncle, he faces daily challenges. “Small businesses are under pressure, with little support. It’s hard to survive,” he says.
Reflecting, he wishes universities offered blended learning. “If I could have learned a trade alongside my studies, I’d have more options. Time is slipping, and I need to build something for myself.”
The Digital Skills Revolution
While Ismail struggles, others are redefining their future. Abdulkadir Dangana, CEO of Brainstorm IT Solutions, is empowering young Nigerians with digital skills that bypass traditional employment barriers.
“Our mission is to help young people create opportunities for themselves,” Dangana explains. “We train them in software development, web and app design, and game creation—skills that are monetisable and in high demand.”
Unlike traditional graduates waiting for job offers, many of Dangana’s trainees now freelance globally, run tech startups, or secure lucrative roles in established companies.
“A young person who can build a website or design an app can start earning immediately,” he says. “We’ve seen dozens of our graduates set up small businesses and even employ others. That’s proof that skills, not degrees alone, can drive growth.”
He calls for systemic reform. “If government and private partners scale such initiatives into schools and universities, we can curb unemployment and nurture a generation of innovators.”
Brushstrokes of Success: Nazeer’s Journey
In a buzzing Kano workshop, Nazeer Mukhtar transforms battered vehicles with a painter’s precision. A motor painter by trade, Nazeer embodies how persistence in vocational skills pays off.
“This isn’t quick money—it took four or five years before I saw real progress,” he recalls. “But now, Alhamdulillah, I can support my parents, siblings, and myself. I own my tools and machines, and my work is respected.”
Nazeer also mentors’ apprentices. “I train up to eight youths at a time, showing them the craft and guiding them towards independence.”
His words carry a message of empowerment: “Don’t rely only on degrees. Even small earnings from skilled work can, by Allah’s will, sustain your family. Build skills that bring respect and independence.”
The Structural Roots of Joblessness
Experts agree that Nigeria’s unemployment crisis is not simply about qualifications. Dr. Abdulnaseer Turawa Yola, a senior lecturer at Federal University Dutse, argues that structural inefficiencies cripple opportunities.
“The industrial sector suffers from erratic power supply and lack of innovation. Many industries operate below capacity, leaving graduates stranded,” he says.
The university system, he adds, is partly to blame. “Our graduates are too theoretical. Entrepreneurship programmes are slowly entering the curriculum, but most students still leave school without practical skills. This is why underemployment and unemployment together stand at 15.3%.”
The mismatch between graduate supply and labour demand is stark. Each year, universities release hundreds of thousands into the job market, but industries cannot absorb them. Meanwhile, vocational skills remain undervalued, despite their proven capacity to lift individuals into prosperity.
Degrees vs Skills: A National Paradox
Nigeria’s crisis is a paradox of abundance. The nation has an army of degree holders but insufficient industries to employ them. At the same time, artisans, freelancers, and digital entrepreneurs—those once dismissed as “dropouts” or “less educated”—often outpace graduates in earning power.
“Vocational and semi-skilled youths are entrepreneurial, setting up businesses, employing others, and contributing to the economy,” Dr Turawa notes. “We must redesign curricula to integrate theory with practice and depoliticise vocational training.”
Changing Perceptions: The Way Forward
The path to reducing unemployment lies not only in reforms but also in changing societal attitudes. The stigma around skilled trades must be dismantled. White-collar jobs are not the only route to dignity and stability.
To tackle the crisis, experts recommend:
Blending education and skills: Universities should integrate practical skills training with academic study.
Expanding vocational programmes: The government should invest in technical schools and apprenticeships.
Promoting digital innovation: Digital skills should be taught early, enabling youths to access global markets.
Supporting SMEs: Small businesses need credit access, power stability, and infrastructure to thrive.
A New Currency of Opportunity
Nigeria’s youth unemployment crisis is about more than education—it is about perception, adaptability, and opportunity. Graduates like Ismail Abdulkadir symbolise the struggles of a rigid, degree-obsessed system. Yet artisans like Nazeer Mukhtar and tech pioneers like Abdulkadir Dangana demonstrate that skills, when nurtured, can transform lives.
With 14.4% of Nigerian youths NEET and 9% of graduates jobless, the lesson is clear: degrees alone are no longer enough. In today’s Nigeria, the new currency of opportunity is not certificates but skills, innovation, and resilience.
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Otamere Gladness 
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