04/11/2025
๐๐๐ง ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐!
Yesterday, the FCT Department of Higher Education reaffirmed its strong commitment to tackling graduate unemployment and bridging Nigeriaโs growing skills gap through a one-day Sensitisation Programme on Career Development and Employability Enhancement Initiatives.
The event held in collaboration with the Canadian Education Council (CEC) brought together students, educators, and stakeholders from universities, colleges of education, schools of health sciences, and other tertiary institutions across the FCT.
The goal? To equip young graduates with the right skills, mindset, and exposure to succeed in todayโs competitive world of work.
Declaring the meeting open, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, Dr. Danlami Hayo (represented by Dr. Neemat Daud Abdulrahim, Director of the FCT Education Resource Centre), described the collaboration as โa new beginning in the drive to make tertiary education in the FCT globally competitive.โ
โThis sensitisation is a call to action. We must all work together to close the gap between academic training and the realities of the labour market,โ he said.
Dr. Hayo also revealed plans to establish International Career Centres across FCT tertiary institutions to provide structured career guidance, mentorship, and international exposure for students, a move he described as โa welcome development.โ
Speaking during the programme, Mr. Siyanbola O.O., Director of Higher Education, noted that many graduates struggle to get jobs because of the wide gap between classroom learning and real-world application.
โMost of the students we produce are difficult for the labour market to employ,โ he said. โWe need to produce graduates that are marketable, skilled, and industry-ready.โ
In his lecture, Dr. Adeniyi John, Country Director of the Canadian Education Council, called for urgent reforms in Nigeriaโs education system to boost productivity and employability.
โCareer development should not stop in the classroom,โ he said. โItโs about discovering problems, finding solutions, and creating value.โ
Dr. Adeniyi explained that the CEC is partnering with the FCT to establish International Career Centres, similar to successful models already operating in parts of Western Nigeria. These centres will help both students and educators develop innovative, solution-driven mindsets.
He also warned that the continuous production of unemployable graduates poses both reputational and financial risks to higher institutions, urging them to strengthen career counselling and practical training.
The sensitisation meeting ended with renewed commitments from all participants to strengthen partnerships, integrate employability training into academic programmes, and promote continuous career awareness across all tertiary institutions in the FCT.
The FCT Department of Higher Education remains committed to working closely with local and international partners including the Canadian Education Council to make tertiary institutions in the FCT models of excellence, innovation, and opportunity.
