The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has explained that the unemployment rate in the country is high because many Nigerian graduates do not have the required skills to get them jobs.
Mr. Olumide Ayodele, UNIDO representative, gave the explanation in Abuja during a one-day workshop on pilot tracer study of selected graduates from some universities in the Nigerian university system.
He said in the course of an assessment study, UNIDO found that there are many vacancies in industries in the country, but no skilled graduates to fill them, adding that there is a mismatch between the skills and the supply of skills in Nigeria.
He added that a number of graduates who graduated as early as two years ago cannot be traced by their institutions while the curriculum of some studies in the institutions are not in demand.
According to Ayodele, there is need for Nigerian universities to have a comprehensive and sustained data base and alumni data of graduates, what they studied, where they are, what those working are earning and so on and so forth.
He said, “Youth unemployment in Nigeria is a time bomb waiting to explode. These are questions we need answers to, on a consistent basis. Nigeria has no business with unemployment. We have the resources and the people to ensure people are engaged.”
Prof Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) explained that tracer study is an important activity aimed at building robust links between institutions, their graduates and the labour market.
He said it focuses on gathering the necessary information required to improve the curriculum, teaching and research in the Nigerian university system.
Okojie who was represented by his deputy, Prof Chiedu Imefiana, said the tracer study would assist in ascertaining the effectiveness and relevance of the degrees obtained from the NUS to the labour market and the relevance of NUS curricula to job.
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