Nigeria's Skills Gap Threatens $1 Trillion Economy Goal, Stakeholders Warn

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), alongside other key players in technical and vocational education, has sounded the alarm over a widening skills gap that threatens Nigeria's economic aspirations. Speaking at a recent summit in Lagos, stakeholders underscored the urgent need for reforms to cultivate industry-ready professionals, a necessity for achieving the ambitious $1 trillion economy target by 2030.

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NACCIMA is very committed to supporting the government to achieve the $1tn US dollar target by 2030. Government will proclaim to announce the target, but the private sector will actually be the actualiser of the target because we are the people in business who will do the activities that will lead to achieving those targets.

The consensus is clear: Nigeria's economy is becoming overly dependent on foreign expertise, a situation that demands immediate attention. The Deputy President of NACCIMA, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, articulated the private sector's commitment to actualizing the nation's economic goals, stating that while the government sets targets, businesses are the engines that will drive their achievement. He pointed to a stark scarcity of skilled artisans and technical workers, noting that even basic trades like bricklaying and carpentry require importing labor from neighboring countries like Ghana.

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We acknowledge the fact that there is a gap in the area of our skills. In certain areas that have small skills but are very important, like carpenters and others, they are not really available in our system. A lot of builders now have challenges in getting good people to build for them, to even do bricklaying, carpentry and tiling.

This reliance on foreign labor is not only a drain on resources but also a missed opportunity for Nigerian youth. Professor Adesoji Adesugba, Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, identified a critical disconnect between educational institutions and the demands of the job market. He stressed that industry leaders must actively shape the curriculum to ensure graduates possess the skills employers actually need. This collaboration is vital to equip Nigerian youth for gainful employment and to prevent the nation from training individuals for jobs that do not exist or for which they are unprepared.

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They have to go as far as Ghana and other parts of West Africa to look for people to help. Those are the available gaps. For the government to achieve the one trillion US dollar target by 2030, we must have the available skills that will help to create that level of economy.

NACCIMA's proactive engagement with international and local partners signals a determined effort to revitalize technical skills development. This initiative is not merely about filling immediate labor needs; it's about building a sustainable foundation for economic growth, reducing foreign dependency, and empowering the Nigerian workforce. The message from the private sector is unequivocal: investing in skilled labor is investing in Nigeria's future prosperity.

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If you don’t understand what you need and you just produce anything, then by the time the graduates come out, you discover that you don’t need them because they have not been trained to do what the industry actually requires.