Stakeholders have called upon Nigerian students to promptly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital competencies, cautioning that possessing academic certificates alone may no longer suffice for obtaining meaningful employment in a labor market increasingly driven by technology.
This directive was issued during the inaugural Career Guidance and Skills Acquisition Workshop, which was organized by the Open Africa Foundation in partnership with the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, and took place at Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja on Tuesday.
The workshop, titled ‘The Future of Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Empowering Young Minds, Shaping the Future,’ convened education and security stakeholders to equip students for the changing job landscape influenced by swift technological progress.
Tunde Aworinde, Chairman of the Open Africa Foundation, stated that the initiative aims to bridge the growing divide between academic education and the skills demanded in the workplace, highlighting that numerous graduates exit educational institutions lacking the practical abilities necessary for employment or entrepreneurship.
He voiced his concern regarding the escalating youth unemployment rate, which he estimated to be between 30 and 40 percent, emphasizing that this situation necessitates a transformation in the mindset of young individuals.
He remarked, “Many navigate the educational system with merely certificates and lack the skills essential for securing jobs or creating opportunities for themselves.”
Aworinde further warned against what he termed a rising “mental poverty” among the youth, where even those with advanced degrees find it challenging to convert their academic successes into productive endeavors.
He provided an illustration of a PhD holder in Political Science who, after being unable to find employment, publicly sought a job at the Presidential Villa, characterizing such instances as indicative of a more profound mindset issue that extends beyond mere unemployment figures.
”The objective is to encourage students to begin contemplating their lives post-education. It is not necessary to navigate through the system only to find oneself unemployed,” he remarked.
During the event, Stanley Ude, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (rtd) and Deputy Coordinator of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, emphasized the dual nature of artificial intelligence, pointing out that while it is generating new opportunities, it is also being misused for advanced criminal activities.
He stated that emerging threats such as cyber fraud, deepfakes, and AI-generated misinformation are transforming the landscape of crime, necessitating a new breed of technology-savvy professionals in law enforcement.
AI, Digital Skills Crucial for Future Jobs, Experts Tell Nigerian Students
