Stakeholders push new strategies for career development and skills training across tertiary institutions
To tackle graduate unemployment and bridge the skills gap in Nigeria’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Department of Higher Education has partnered with the Canadian Education Council (CEC) to launch a sensitisation programme on Career Development and Employability Enhancement Initiatives.
The one-day event brought together educators, students, and policymakers from across the FCT’s tertiary institutions — including universities, colleges of education, schools of health sciences, and innovation enterprise institutes — to explore practical solutions for improving graduate employability in Abuja.
“A call to action,” says FCT Education Secretary
Declaring the event open, Dr. Danlami Hayo, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, represented by Dr. Neemat Daud Abdulrahim, Director of the FCT Education Resource Centre, described the collaboration as “a new beginning in making FCT tertiary education globally competitive.”
“This sensitisation is a call to action. We must all work together to close the skills gap between academic training and the realities of the labour market,”
— Dr. Danlami Hayo
Hence, the need for the establishment of International Career Centres across tertiary institutions in the FCT to serve as graduate employability hub. This when achieved will go a long way to enhance career readiness and global competitiveness of our students across tertiary institutions across the FCT.
Bridging the gap between theory and practice
In his goodwill message, Mr. Siyanbola O.O., Director of Higher Education, lamented that many graduates remain unemployable due to limited practical exposure.
“Most of the students we produce are difficult for the labour market to employ,” he said, urging institutions to integrate employability and career development programmes into their curricula to produce “marketable, skilled, and industry-ready graduates.”
Canadian Council calls for mindset and curriculum reform
Delivering the keynote lecture, Dr. Adeniyi John, Country Director of the Canadian Education Council (CEC), stressed the need for education reform focused on skill acquisition, creativity, and problem-solving.
“Career development should not stop in the classroom — it should involve discovering problems, finding solutions, and creating value,”
— Dr. Adeniyi John
He revealed that the CEC is collaborating with the FCT to establish International Career Centres, modeled after successful initiatives in several Nigerian universities, to foster innovation and practical learning.
Dr. Adeniyi warned that producing unemployable graduates poses a reputational and financial risk to institutions, as it reflects declining educational value. He urged Nigerian universities to adopt skill-based and experiential learning models to better prepare students for global opportunities.
Stakeholders renew commitment to employability and innovation
Other education leaders at the event called for stronger career counselling systems, noting that many institutions lack adequate counsellors to guide thousands of students.
The sensitisation programme concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening partnerships, promoting continuous career awareness, and integrating employability training across tertiary institutions in the FCT.
Reaffirming its stance, the FCT Department of Higher Education pledged to continue collaborating with local and international partners, including the Canadian Education Council to make Abuja’s tertiary institutions models of excellence, innovation, and employability in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
