AI, Digital Skills Crucial for Future Jobs, Experts Tell Nigerian Students

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja 

Stakeholders have urged Nigerian students to urgently embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital skills, warning that academic certificates alone may no longer be sufficient to secure meaningful employment in an increasingly technology-driven labour market.

The charge was given at the maiden Career Guidance and Skills Acquisition Workshop organised by the Open Africa Foundation in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, held at Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja Tuesday.

The workshop, themed ‘The Future of Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Empowering Young Minds, Shaping the Future,’ brought together education and security stakeholders to prepare students for evolving job realities shaped by rapid technological advancement.

Chairman of the Open Africa Foundation, Tunde Aworinde, said the programme was designed to close the widening gap between classroom learning and workplace requirements, noting that many graduates still leave school without practical skills needed for employment or entrepreneurship.

He expressed concern over rising youth unemployment, which he estimated at between 30 and 40 per cent, stressing that the situation demands a shift in mindset among young people.

According to him, “Many go through the education system with only certificates and not the skills required either to get jobs or create opportunities for themselves.”

Aworinde also cautioned against what he described as a growing “mental poverty” among youths, where even highly educated individuals struggle to translate academic achievements into productive engagement.

He cited an example of a doctoral degree holder in Political Science who, after failing to secure employment, publicly appealed for a job at the Presidential Villa, describing such actions as evidence of a deeper mindset challenge beyond unemployment statistics.

“The idea is to get students to start thinking early about life after school. You don’t have to pass through the system and end up jobless,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (rtd) and Deputy Coordinator of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Stanley Ude, highlighted the double-edged nature of AI, noting that while it is creating new opportunities, it is also being exploited for sophisticated criminal activities.

He said emerging threats such as cyber fraud, deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation were reshaping the crime landscape, requiring a new generation of tech-informed professionals in law enforcement.

“AI has introduced new dimensions to crime. Criminals are increasingly using it for cyber fraud, deepfakes and fake news,” Ude said.

He explained that modern policing now depends on a multidisciplinary approach involving technology experts, legal practitioners and forensic specialists, adding that reforms within the Nigeria Police Force are aimed at strengthening capacity through digital tools and institutional restructuring.

Ude further noted that the collaboration between the Police Reform Secretariat and the Open Africa Foundation was also intended to improve young people’s perception of the police and deepen trust in ongoing reforms.

“The essence of this collaboration is also to help young people understand that the police are there to protect them. When there is distress or crime, the police remain the first point of contact,” he said.

He added that ongoing reforms were focused on improving professionalism, efficiency and service delivery through technology-driven policing systems.

Findings from the workshop showed that students from about 20 public and private secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were trained in AI, cybersecurity, solar installation and video editing as part of efforts to equip them with practical, future-ready skills.