The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has called for a stronger collaboration among stakeholders to build a future-ready education system that equips young Nigerians with the skills required for a changing economy. This call was made during a pre-summit dialogue with the theme: “Future-proofing Nigerian Education,” held as part of stakeholder engagements ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32). The hybrid session brought together stakeholders to examine challenges around education quality, access, skills development, employability and private-sector participation.
Ms Ozofu Ogiemudia, Chair of the NES#32 Central Organising Committee, emphasized that building a future-ready education system requires attention to the entire education pipeline. This includes foundational learning and access to tertiary education, curriculum and teaching, skills development, employability and transition into the labour market. She urged stakeholders to focus on practical, scalable and financeable solutions with clear responsibilities and measurable commitments.
Mr Oluwatobi Oseni, Lead, Human Capital Development Thematic Group of the NESG Community of Practice on Youth (CoPYouth), described Nigeria’s human capital challenge as a broken education pipeline. He noted that weaknesses at each stage compound one another, citing challenges including the large number of out-of-school children, weak foundational literacy and numeracy, declining examination outcomes and difficulties transitioning young people into productive employment.
Dr Moses Sichei, Chief Social Policy at UNICEF, called for greater emphasis on the industry relevance and practical application of academic research. He noted that postgraduate research should address real-world industry challenges and generate evidence-based solutions to issues affecting businesses and sectors. Dr Sichei also emphasized the need to embed entrepreneurship, innovation and digital skills within university education.
Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja, stressed the need for universities to strengthen their role as centres of innovation and enterprise development. He noted that research should generate practical value through evidence for policy, new ideas and solutions capable of supporting industry development. He called for deeper university–industry partnerships, including greater participation of industry professionals in mentorship, internships and teaching.
Chikaodi Onyemerela, Director, Programmes and Partnerships, British Council, advocated a stronger focus on the practical and industry relevance of academic research, particularly at the postgraduate level. She called for research to address concrete challenges confronting businesses and industries and produce actionable solutions. She also emphasized the importance of strengthening innovation and enterprise development within universities.
The session concluded with a focus on translating the dialogue into practical action. Participants identified the need to document priority interventions, map potential private-sector partners and clarify areas where stakeholders can contribute to improved education outcomes. The Human Capital Development Thematic Group of CoPYouth will use the outcomes of the engagement to inform its advocacy and follow-up activities.
Key points
- The Nigerian Economic Summit Group calls for collaboration to equip young Nigerians with skills for a changing economy.
- Stakeholders emphasize the need for practical, scalable and financeable solutions to address education challenges.
- The education dialogue contributes to the Summit’s focus on productivity, human capital and inclusive growth.
