Why every Nigerian student should learn a skill before graduation

By: Oluwakemi Oni

FOR many Nigerian students, graduation is seen as the ultimate destination. Years are spent attending lectures, writing examinations, completing assignments, and working towards obtaining a certificate. Yet, after the excitement of graduation comes a difficult question: What next? For some graduates, the answer is employment. For others, however, the search for a job may take months or even years. This reality raises an important question: Is a university degree enough to prepare a young Nigerian for life after school? The answer is not necessarily. This does not mean that university education is unimportant. Academic education remains essential for developing knowledge, critical thinking, and professional competence. However, in a changing economy where competition for jobs is intense, Nigerian students should consider learning at least one practical or marketable skill before graduation. A certificate tells people what a person has studied. A skill demonstrates what that person can do. Nigeria has millions of young people with different talents and academic qualifications. However, many young graduates discover that having a degree does not automatically translate into employment. Some spend considerable time searching for jobs, while others eventually accept opportunities unrelated to what they studied. Learning a skill can provide another pathway.

  A student studying Mass Communication, for instance, can learn photography, video editing, graphic design, content creation, or digital marketing. A student studying Accounting can develop skills in bookkeeping software, data analysis, or financial technology. A student studying Education can learn educational technology, writing, or online tutoring. The purpose is not to abandon one’s course of study. Rather, it is to add another layer of competence. In today’s world, skills can also create opportunities beyond traditional employment. A young person who learns tailoring, catering, hairdressing, fashion design, photography, phone repairs, web development, or other useful skills can potentially turn that knowledge into a business. This is particularly important because entrepreneurship is not only about becoming a business owner. It is also about developing the ability to identify a problem, provide a solution, and create value. For a university student, learning a skill can therefore be an investment in the future. It can also encourage financial independence. A student who develops a marketable skill may be able to earn legitimate income while still in school. Even if the income starts small, the experience gained can be valuable after graduation. There is also the issue of confidence. Knowing how to do something useful can give a young person confidence to face life beyond the classroom. Instead of seeing graduation as the beginning of uncertainty, the student can leave school with both academic knowledge and a practical ability that can be developed further. However, students should not be blamed entirely for the gap between education and employability. Educational institutions also have an important role to play.

Universities and other higher institutions should create more opportunities for students to acquire practical skills alongside their academic programmes. Skill-acquisition centres, entrepreneurship programmes, digital training, internships, and partnerships with industries can expose students to the realities of the workplace. Students, on their part, should also take personal responsibility. Waiting until graduation before thinking about employability can be risky. The years spent in higher education provide an opportunity to explore interests, develop abilities, and gain experience. Students should use that period wisely.

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Parents and guardians also have a role to play. Academic success should be encouraged, but young people should not be made to believe that obtaining a certificate is the only definition of success. Different skills can lead to different legitimate career paths. There is dignity in skilled work. A young Nigerian who can design a website, repair a device, prepare quality meals, sew clothes, edit videos, write professionally, install electrical systems, or provide another valuable service is contributing to society. The challenge is to ensure that skills are learned properly and practised professionally. Not every skill will immediately produce income, and not every student needs to become an entrepreneur. The goal is to broaden opportunities and make young people more adaptable. Nigeria’s future depends greatly on the capacity of its young population. If students leave school with certificates, practical abilities, problem-solving skills, and a willingness to learn, they will be better positioned to respond to changing economic realities.

A university degree should therefore not be viewed as the end of learning. It should be a foundation for continuous development. Every Nigerian student does not necessarily need to learn the same skill, but every student should consider developing at least one useful skill before graduation, whether it is vocational, digital, creative, technical, or entrepreneurial. The future may not always provide a job exactly as we imagine it, but a person who possesses knowledge, a certificate, and a practical skill has more tools with which to respond to uncertainty. The classroom gives us knowledge; skills teach us how to put that knowledge to work. For the Nigerian student preparing for life after graduation, having both may make all the difference.

•Oni is a student of Osun State University, Ikire.