Dike Onwuamaeze
As the federal government’s economic reform initiatives strengthen Nigeria’s macroeconomic variables, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has warned that, “economic transformation without skills transformation is not sustainable.”
It fsaid that “the future of Nigeria’s economy is deeply tied to the quality, relevance and responsiveness of our skills development system.”
NACCIMA gave the warning yesterday in Lagos during the “Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Stakeholders Summit” with the theme “Building Industry-Ready Professionals for a $1 Trillion Economy: Strengthening TVET Through Public -Private Partnership,” which was convened by NACCIMA.
The National President of NACCIMA, Mr. Jani Ibrahim, in his opening address during the stakeholders’ summit, said Nigeria was standing as one of the largest labour markets in Africa whose demographic advantage has continued to be constrained by a fundamental challenging mismatch between available skills and industry demand.
Ibrahim said the paradox that should be of concern was that while official unemployment figures appear moderate, the reality was that a significant proportion of the workforce, over 90 per cent, was engaged in informal or vulnerable employment, often lacking productivity, stability, and growth potential.
He added: “At the same time, youth unemployment and underemployment remain persistent, with many young Nigerians unable to transition effectively from education into meaningful work.
“This is not merely a labour market issue; it is a structural economic challenge.
“And this is where TVET must take centre stage.”
He emphasised that globally, “economies that have successfully industrialised and sustained growth have done so on the backbone of strong technical and vocational systems, systems that are demand-driven, industry-led, and innovation-oriented.
“In Nigeria, however, the story has been different. For too long, our education and training systems have not sufficiently aligned with the needs of the real economy.
“As a result, we continue to produce graduates who are qualified on paper, but not adequately equipped with the practical, technical, and entrepreneurial skills required in today’s workplace.
“Evidence continues to show that TVET remains one of the most effective tools for addressing youth unemployment, improving livelihoods, and enhancing national productivity.
“But for TVET to truly deliver impact, it must be repositioned.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman, Education Committee, NACCIMA, Prof. Abdu-Na’allah, said youth unemployment and underemployment remained significant while employers consistently report difficulties in recruiting workers with job-ready technical and vocational skills.
Abdul Na’allah said this was the situation in Nigeria at a time global projections are indicating that by 2030, over 50 per cent of jobs would require intermediate technical skills, many of which fall squarely within the domain of TVET.
He said: “This clearly underscores one reality: economic transformation without skills transformation is not sustainable.”
He noted that even though Nigeria has made important policy strides with frameworks such as the National Skills Qualification Framework, amongst others, “the challenge before us is not just policy formulation but policy implementation, coordination and scale.”
Abdul-Na’allah, therefore, suggested that NACCIMA and members of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria should be positioned as institutional anchor for employer coordination in TVET.
“This structured coordination will ensure that skills development is not supply-driven but demand-led and future-oriented.
“TVET must, therefore, be repositioned to deliver 21st century skills, combining technical competence with digital literacy, problem-solving and entrepreneurial capacity,” he said.
He added that the future of Nigeria’s economy is deeply tied to the quality, relevance and responsiveness of our skills development system.
In his keynote address, the 1st Deputy President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Professor Adesoji Adesugba, stated that the demographic dividend that Nigeria was endowed with was not automatic but earned through skills, productivity and effective labour market systems.
According to him, “today, that dividend remains largely unrealised, because we do not yet have a coherent system that effectively connects them.”
Adesugba said this was why the central thesis of his keynote was both simple and urgent, adding that “Nigeria cannot build an effective TVET system without institutionalised employer coordination and NACCIMA working with the OPSN, is best positioned to anchor that coordination.”
He added: “Across the world, the most successful TVET system share one defining feature: they are led by industry and anchored on employer demand.
“In Nigeria, however, we continue to grapple with a disconnect between skills supply and labour market needs.
“Employers seek job-ready competencies while many graduates struggle to meet these expectations.”
Adesugba stated clearly that, “TVET systems are effective only when employers are structurally embedded in governance and implementation,” but this is a principle that Nigeria is yet to internalise in order to make the system works.
According to him, effective TVET systems depend on strong collaboration between industry and regulatory institutions.
The Head, GIZ SKYE Programme, Ms. Britta van Erckelens, said the answer to skill mismatch in Nigeria clearly lies in strong, demand-driven TVET systems.
Erckelens states that from the perspective of the private sector, TVET is not a social obligation alone but also a strategic investment.
She said that a well-functioning TVET system would deliver concrete benefits that “reduces recruitment costs, shortens onboarding time, increases productivity from day one and ensures that skills match real business needs.
“In short, TVET should not be seen as a costly endeavour, but rather, it is a driver of growth.”
She noted that the reality is that no public system alone could fully anticipate or respond to the rapidly evolving needs of industry.
“Only the private sector truly knows the skills that are needed today and tomorrow.
“This is why your role is not optional. It is essential,” she said.
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