Funmi Ogundare
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Tuesday called for a review of Nigeria’s education curriculum to address the mismatch between graduates’ skills and labour market demands, stressing the need to equip young people with relevant digital and vocational skills.
The UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Rownak Khan, made the call during a visit by UNICEF and Airtel Africa to schools in Agege, Lagos and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), to showcase their digital learning and youth skills development initiatives.
She emphasised the impact of the organisation’s partnership with Airtel and educational institutions on youth skills development.
Khan said although Nigeria had an established education system, much of its curriculum was outdated and failed to adequately prepare young people for the realities of the modern workplace.
“In many countries, and to some extent broadly in Nigeria, the education is there, but the curricula that have been followed are quite decades old. When these children come out into the real world, they are in shock because there is a mismatch between what they have learnt and what the market is asking for,” she said.
The UNICEF deputy representative stressed the need for stakeholders to work together to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry requirements, noting that digital skills development should be linked to sustainable livelihood opportunities for young people.
According to her, the collaboration between UNICEF, Airtel and educational institutions demonstrates how partnerships can combine different areas of expertise to provide more comprehensive support for young people.
Khan described the initiative as a flagship programme, noting that its impact extended beyond digital training to preparing beneficiaries for employment and other livelihood opportunities.
She commended Yabatech for its commitment to skills development, particularly its efforts to integrate digital competencies into its programmes and provide young people with pathways to economic independence.
In her remarks, the Chief Field Office and Head of Private Sector Partnerships Unit, Celine Lafoucriere, said the telecommunications company had supported the organisation’s digital education initiatives for five years by providing connectivity to young people seeking to acquire digital skills.
The partnership, she noted, had enabled beneficiaries to access various learning platforms, including the Learning Passport and the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), which provide opportunities for young people to develop skills and improve their employability.
Lafoucriere explained that UNICEF worked with different partners, each contributing expertise and resources to expand access to digital education.
She said Airtel’s contribution had been particularly significant in ensuring that young people could access skills development programmes provided through UNICEF’s network of partners.
According to her, Airtel initially focused on supporting access to the Learning Passport when it entered into a pan-African partnership with UNICEF.
However, discussions between both organisations led to the expansion of the initiative to cover other digital platforms that could benefit children, adolescents and young people.
She said Airtel subsequently agreed to whitelist the platforms, allowing beneficiaries to access the digital learning resources without the usual data constraints.
The UNICEF official expressed appreciation to the telecommunications company for its continued support, noting that the partnership had helped strengthen digital learning opportunities in Nigeria.
“The only reason why we are able to drive digital learning in Nigeria today is thanks to Airtel,” Lafoucriere stated.
She added that sustained collaboration among development organisations, technology companies and other stakeholders remained essential to ensuring that children and young people were not left behind in the digital learning ecosystem.
Also speaking, Head, Programmes, Airtel Africa Foundation, Esi Asare Prah, reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the digital divide across Africa, announcing plans to strengthen skills development initiatives aimed at equipping young people with competencies required in the labour market.
She stated that its partnership with UNICEF, backed by a $57 million investment across 13 African countries, was designed to expand access to digital education and skills training, particularly for young people who lack the opportunities to participate in the digital economy.
She added that the initiative was particularly significant in Nigeria because of its emphasis on equipping young people with practical skills they could use to secure employment and earn a living.
According to her, “Many young people graduated from schools with certificates but lacked the competencies required by employers, creating a mismatch between educational qualifications and labour market demands.”
The foundation, Prah noted, has four priority areas, with education occupying the foremost position, followed by digital inclusion.
She stated that the partnership with UNICEF remained a key part of the foundation’s commitment to addressing educational inequalities and expanding opportunities for young people across the continent.
“Our mission is to bridge that digital divide across the continent because our mother company drives the digital education agenda, and there are still a lot of young people who are left behind in that regard,” she said.
Prah also described its engagement with YABATECH as an opportunity to develop a model that could be adapted and replicated in other African countries where it operates.
“Nigerian initiative stood out because of its focus on practical skills development, supported by technical expertise to ensure that participants acquired competencies relevant to the needs of employers,” she said, adding that the approach went beyond providing access to digital learning platforms or offering training.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that the skills acquired could translate into employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, represented by his deputy, Dr. Ismaila Badmus, said the institution was deliberate about building partnerships and strengthening town-and-gown relations.
He expressed appreciation to the partners for their support.