The quality of graduates emerging from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions has become a growing concern for employers, who say many lack the practical skills needed to thrive in today’s workplace.
The issue was at the centre of a panel discussion during the 2026 International Week of the University of Lagos.
The session, themed “Talents, Values and Impact: Reimagining the University–Industry Nexus to Drive Ethical, Skilled and Globally Competitive Graduates,” was moderated by Prof. Ismail Ibraheem, Chairman of UNILAG Consult Ltd Management Board.
Panellists, including the Chief Operating Officer of KPMG Nigeria and West Africa, Toyin Gbagi; Executive Director, Operations at Stanbic IBTC, Mrs Funke Amobi; and Governor, Teaching and Learning at Banana Island International School, Moulinsade Marriott, called for a stronger alignment between classroom training and industry realities.
Speaking on recruitment challenges, Gbagi said employers were struggling to find competent candidates despite large applicant pools.
“There is a decline in the quality of graduates from our tertiary institutions. The problem is always about the quality of hires, not the available quantity,” she said.
She noted that her organisation invests significant effort in retraining new hires and questioned how often universities review their programmes, especially as artificial intelligence continues to reshape work.
“As a result, there is a lot of rigor that we put into the training of those that we hire. Universities must look beyond just sending their students on internships. There is a big question about curriculum relevance,” Gbagi said.
“How frequently do we evaluate courses? Sometimes, for some of these courses, the demand is zero. Courses are being revoked in countries that regularly embark on the evaluation of courses,” she added.
Amobi said the university system must prioritise employability in curriculum design and prepare graduates to adapt quickly in professional environments.
“There has to be a closure in the bridge between academia and industry. We want graduates who would hit the ground running upon their employment. We need graduates that can process data; we need aggregators; we need them to be smart, visionaries with the use of technology,” she said.
Other speakers stressed the importance of critical thinking, adaptability, ethical grounding and entrepreneurship training as core values for future graduates.
Contributing to the conversation, Prof. Mathew Olusoji Ilori, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, said universities could no longer wait for industry to approach them and must proactively drive partnerships that would improve graduate quality.
“We have waited long enough for the industry to come. We will be charging towards the industry for the necessary collaboration to strengthen the quality of our graduates,” he said.
