The Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has appealed to Nigerian graduates to ensure they learn a skill, saying the era where certificates alone help them secure jobs is over.
The Minister made the appeal while speaking at the Channels Television’s Youth Forum 2026 on Friday, May 29.
He noted that many young Nigerians pursue higher education merely to obtain degrees without developing the practical competencies required to thrive in the modern workforce.
“One of the things I have always emphasised is skill development. Certificates alone may not be what is needed. You would discover that a lot of people going to school today are just going to school to become graduates. The skill gap should be addressed at the root of the matter’’he said
The Minister expressed concern over the unrealistic salary expectations among some graduates, linking the trend to inadequate career orientation and poor exposure to entrepreneurship and vocational skills.
“I was watching before the programme (Channels Television’s Youth Forum 2026) started, and some youths were asked how much they would like to receive as a salary after graduation. I saw some say N1 and another say N3 million.
When you ask them how they intend to earn that money, and they say through the civil service, then you understand why skill development is important’’ he said
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