Certificates or Skills: Which guarantees employment or empowerment opportunity in Nigeria in 2026?

There was a time in Nigeria that university degrees and diplomas from polytechnics will guarantee you an automatic employment after graduation from the school.

There was a time in Nigeria that best graduating students are awarded with motor vehicles, cash items, scholarship and sponsorship to further the education to Master's and Doctorate level.

These celebrations and how society values education encouraged parents to invest heavily in the education of their children, with education seen as the best legacy to give the child as it promises a brighter future for personal growth, personality development, government employment, opportunities, status and rewards for those committed to the path from the primary level to tertiary level.

There was a time when certificates was more valuable than skills, people with technical skills are rewarded but not celebrated like those with diplomas and degrees.

As the population grows and expanded, private universities and polytechnics also set up across the country, providing opportunities for those who couldn't secure admission in government owned schools and others who see the private establishments as more equipped with more standard facilities, academic friendly environment, organized staffing structure and reputable curriculum that will produce a better, character refined, disciplined and more knowledgeable graduates over government owned tertiary institutions, having spent large sums in school fees in the course of the study.

Year after year, graduates keeps multiplying, certificates produced and awarded at every annual convocation event, admission continues to open to freshers while the cycle continues but numbers of industry declining and employment opportunities not commensurating with numbers of job seekers and graduates.

The tertiary institutions discovered that majority of their past graduates are not able to secure befitting jobs in the labour market, the schools decided to introduced entrepreneurship courses for the undergraduates to learn a skill, trade and other activities that could give them a leverage after graduation to be self-employed if they are not able to secure a government employment or private placement in the corporate world.

With over 16years invested in school (6-3-3-4) to become a graduate without employment, but later advised to abandon certificates and qualifications to start learning a skill or trade for them to be considered for certain roles, the same role that an individual who didn't go through the school system can easily function at after 2-3yrs acquiring knowledge, skills and capacity needed to become a valuable specialist.

Today, People with skills and technical capabilities are more valuable and rewarded, sought after for jobs that technical and practical competence are required. While increasing numbers of graduates are facing the reality of unemployment with some employers requiring for graduates with certain skills, abilities and years of experiences.

These conditions for employment and challenges after spending over 16years schooling have furthered fuel the narrative of school been a scam and have turned many bright graduates without capital for starting a business into internet fraudsters, drug traffickers, prostitutes, kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and readily available tools for politicians to engage in carrying out their dirty jobs.

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