By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education and employment sectors have called for comprehensive reforms to the country’s education system, improved teachers’ welfare, community-based career guidance centres and stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry to tackle unemployment and accelerate industrialization.
They made the call at Symposium 5.0, organised by ‘For the Love of Country’, an initiative convened by Atinuke Odjenima, with the theme, “Building a Prosperous Future: Re-engineering Education and Driving Industrialisation for Innovation, Productivity and Jobs.”
The symposium focused on the need to bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping young people with practical skills, improving work readiness and aligning academic programmes with the demands of industry.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Adetoun Adewolu-Ogwo advocated the establishment of community-based career guidance centres to help young people and other job seekers identify employment opportunities, develop relevant skills and navigate the transition from education to work.
She observed that Nigeria faced the paradox of widespread unemployment alongside persistent complaints by employers about the difficulty of finding workers with the appropriate skills.
According to her, the situation underscores the urgent need to rethink the relationship between education, skills acquisition and the labour market.
Adewolu-Ogwo proposed the establishment of what she described as “career lighthouses” at the community and local government levels to provide career guidance, job information, mentorship and personalised support for unemployed people.
She said the centres would help young people identify career paths suited to their interests and abilities while connecting them with relevant training and employment opportunities.
“Education should not be seen as a destination or a stopping point. Instead, we should see it as a journey, an ecosystem, and a transition system that contributes to national development,” she said.
Also speaking at the symposium, Oluwaseyi Anifowose, founder of the ‘Initiative for Let There Be Teachers Foundation’, called for comprehensive reforms in teacher education, improved teachers’ welfare and stricter implementation of existing education policies.
He argued that meaningful educational transformation would remain difficult to achieve without qualified, motivated and adequately supported teachers.
Anifowose distinguished between schooling and education, noting that genuine education should go beyond the acquisition of certificates, to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills required to identify societal problems and develop practical solutions.
He expressed concern over the apparent lack of interest in teaching among young people, recalling that when he asked an audience of more than 500 people how many were willing to become teachers, only two or three indicated an interest.
The response, he said, raised important questions about the country’s ability to attract committed and capable individuals into a profession central to national development.
He called for a review of admission standards into colleges of education, arguing that the institutions should attract some of Nigeria’s brightest candidates rather than be regarded as a last resort for those unable to secure admission into other higher institutions.
According to him, improving the quality of teachers begins with strengthening the process through which they are recruited, trained and supported.
On teachers’ welfare, Anifowose maintained that passion for the profession must be supported by adequate remuneration, continuous professional development and access to the resources required for effective teaching.
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