By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
A Professor of Political Economy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Christian Ezeibe, has urged the Federal Government to declare a National Skills Emergency, warning that Nigeria’s overreliance on academic certificates at the expense of practical skills is undermining sustainable development.
Prof. Ezeibe made the call on Friday in Lokoja while delivering a lecture at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic. He advocated increased funding for polytechnics and technical colleges, mandatory industry collaboration, and the complete abolition of the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s degree (BSc) dichotomy.
In his lecture titled “Skills Over Certificates: Repositioning Technical Education for Sustainable Development,” the UNN don, who also serves as Dean of Student Affairs, argued that employability in Nigeria should be driven by competence rather than paper qualifications.
“Nigeria must make skills, not just certificates, the national currency of employability,” Ezeibe said. “Skills should be seen as the engine of sustainable development, not an afterthought, and the country must reduce its dependence on imported technical expertise.”
He cited data from the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), which estimates that Nigeria spends about $20 billion annually on expatriate services and remittances, a significant portion of which goes to technical personnel from countries such as India, China and the Philippines.
“In the power sector alone, despite billions of dollars invested, Nigeria still relies on foreign technicians to maintain turbines and grid infrastructure,” he noted.
Prof. Ezeibe, however, commended the Dangote Group for what he described as deliberate efforts to address Nigeria’s shortage of skilled technical workers by training Nigerians to take up roles traditionally occupied by expatriates.
He also challenged the management of Kogi State Polytechnic to strengthen its industry linkages by aggressively pursuing equipment grants, partnerships with the private sector, and regular curriculum reviews, recommending updates at least every three years to reflect industry needs.
Addressing lecturers at the institution, Ezeibe said their role went beyond classroom teaching. “You are not just transmitters of information; you are oases of skills,” he said.
Turning to the graduating students, he urged them to see their qualifications as only the beginning of their journey. “Your certificates are your launchpad, your skills are the engine, your vision is the navigation system, and Nigeria’s problems are your destination,” he said.
The lecture was one of the highlights of the convocation ceremony, which attracted academics, policymakers and stakeholders in the education sector, many of whom echoed calls for reforms aimed at repositioning technical and vocational education as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic development.
