Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Bamiro, has said that many Nigerian graduates are unemployable because they do not run programmes relevant to the country’s needs.
He also said having a degree is no longer enough to guarantee employment.
The former Vice Chancellor made this known while speaking in Abuja at a British Council programme on higher education policy dialogue with the theme: ‘graduated but unemployed-the challenges facing Nigerian graduates’.
He said “Our enrollment in the universities and other higher institutions is going higher and the unemployment level is also high.
“Universities need to equip their students with the necessary competencies. Universities while trying to give quality education to the students and making sure that they have employability attributes, must be aware of the external factor and labour market regulations, democracy and structure of the economy and considering the overall economy situation of the country.
“Good academic qualifications are no longer enough for employability. Graduates need to also have other attributes which they call soft skills.
“Graduates can no longer expect to be employed in just one sector through their professional life.
“They will need to be impacted with skills that will make them to adapt to different situation. Some graduates do not know how to write application letters even some use internet English and short hand is not good.”