COL, NUC begin three-day discourse on graduate employability in Nigeria

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organisation of The Commonwealth, has launched a three-day national stakeholder capacity-building workshop to discuss Nigeria’s graduate employability crisis.

The workshop, to be held from October 24 to 27, 2024, was organised in partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The event brings together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for enhancing graduate employability across the country’s higher education institutions.

At the opening of the event, Jane-Frances Agbu, an adviser for higher education at COL, emphasised the urgent need to address the employability gap facing Nigerian graduates.

Agbu outlined COL’s mission to improve access to learning opportunities through open, distance, and technology-based education.

She stressed the importance of preparing graduates for the evolving demands of the modern workforce.

“Unlike the early 80s, where a university degree almost guaranteed an easy transition into a white-collar job in Nigeria, today’s reality is different,” she said, highlighting the growing need for skills beyond academic qualifications.

Agbu added that COL’s collaboration with NUC aims to foster resilience in open and distance learning (ODL) processes while focusing on graduate employability as a key area for intervention.

The event, Agbu said, marks a significant step toward bridging the skills gap in Nigeria and ensuring that higher education remains a pathway to improved livelihood opportunities for students nationwide.

Participants at the workshop will explore practical strategies for addressing skills mismatches and preparing graduates for emerging complexities in the global job market.