The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and other stakeholders have urged urgent reforms in technical and vocational education to address a widening shortage of skilled labour. Speaking at the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Stakeholders Summit in Lagos on Tuesday, they warned the gap threatens Nigeria's goal of a $1tn economy by 2030. Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, NACCIMA's Deputy President, said the private sector must drive the effort, stating, "Government will proclaim to announce the target, but the private sector will actually be the actualiser of the target." He highlighted the scarcity of local artisans, noting builders now source workers from Ghana and other West African countries for basic tasks like bricklaying, carpentry and tiling. Olawale-Cole said NACCIMA is partnering with local and international bodies to revive technical skills development and reduce dependence on foreign labour. Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed to a mismatch between training institutions and industry demands, stressing that industries should define the curriculum to produce job-ready graduates. He warned that without alignment, job seekers will remain unemployed while employers struggle to find qualified workers. With Nigeria's population growing by 2.3 per cent annually, adding about five million people each year, Adesugba said failure to equip youth with relevant skills could turn demographic growth into a burden. Dr Tinuke Temitope, Director of Business, Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology at the Abuja Chamber, emphasized that private sector involvement is essential for TVET success, noting that skills outlast certificates. Dr John Onyebuchi, representing the National Board for Technical Education, also spoke on the need for reform.
NACCIMA calls for private sector leadership in fixing the skills gap while admitting it takes builders to Ghana to find bricklayers and carpenters. If local artisans are so scarce that construction relies on foreign hands, the $1tn economy target rests on shaky ground. Nigerian youth are being trained for jobs that don't exist, while critical trades go unfilled. Without immediate curriculum shifts driven by industry needs, the growing population becomes a liability, not an asset.
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