The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, has called for urgent action to bridge the gap between education, skills acquisition and access to productive jobs for young Nigerians.
The call was made on Thursday at a pre-summit dialogue organised ahead of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32), with stakeholders examining how to translate learning and skills development into meaningful economic opportunities.
The virtual dialogue, themed “The Missing Link: From Learning to Earning,” brought together stakeholders from the education, technology, philanthropy, entrepreneurship and youth development sectors.
Participants focused on the gaps preventing many young Nigerians from turning their education and acquired skills into sustainable employment, businesses and livelihoods.
Speaking at the event, Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, said the engagement was designed to lay the groundwork for a focused and implementable agenda capable of moving Nigeria from identifying problems to delivering solutions.
She appreciated the panelists, discussants and participants for their contributions and urged stakeholders to register for NES#32 and join the wider conversation on building an economy that creates jobs, raises productivity and promotes shared prosperity.
Also speaking, Mrs Obianuju Anigbogu, Director, Education Planning, Research and Development, Federal Ministry of Education, stressed the importance of strengthening education planning, research and development as foundations for developing a productive and future-ready workforce.
She called for stronger collaboration between government, the private sector and other stakeholders to ensure that education policies and interventions produce meaningful outcomes for learners and the economy.
Delivering the keynote remarks, Mr Abubakar Sulaiman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, said the capabilities needed to drive productivity and economic growth must be developed from the school system.
He called for a shift from an education pipeline focused largely on certificates to an ecosystem that develops capability, productivity and opportunities.
Sulaiman said graduates should acquire transferable skills that would enable them to function effectively across different industries, irrespective of their fields of study.
He noted that graduates of disciplines such as History, English and Physics, for instance, should leave school with relevant workplace skills in addition to their academic qualifications.
According to him, developing an adaptable workforce capable of responding to changing industry demands would be critical to strengthening the connection between education, employment and economic productivity.
During the panel session, Lawal Mohammed Faruk, Director, Research, Innovation and Information Technology, National Universities Commission (NUC), represented by Dr Ezinne Orisakwe, Assistant Director, Research, Planning and Administration, NUC, stressed the need for effective systems to track graduates and out-of-school young people.
Dr Orisakwe said reliable data on the transition from education to employment would enable government and other stakeholders to better understand the challenges confronting young Nigerians and develop more effective interventions.
She also called for stronger policy coordination and urgent capital investment to address the growing number of graduates and skilled Nigerians seeking employment.
Similarly, Oyindamola Egbeyemi, Director, Programmes and Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), said skills development programmes must be directly linked to labour-market demands.
She stressed that interventions should go beyond training and certification to create measurable pathways to employment, enterprise development, increased productivity and improved livelihoods.
Other panellists, including Femi Taiwo, Managing Partner, FATE Africa, and Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, examined structural and practical barriers limiting young Nigerians from converting education and skills into sustainable livelihoods.
The discussions highlighted the need for stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry, as well as increased opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and workforce development.
Participants agreed that closing the gap between learning and earning requires more than expanding access to education.
They stressed the need for an education and skills ecosystem that equips young Nigerians with relevant, adaptable and marketable capabilities while creating clear pathways into jobs, entrepreneurship and productive economic participation.
The pre-summit dialogue is part of broader consultations ahead of NES#32 and contributes to the Summit’s focus on building an economy capable of creating jobs, improving productivity and delivering shared prosperity.
The 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32) is scheduled to hold on October 26 and 27, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, under the theme: “Growth that Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity.”
The summit is expected to bring together policymakers, private-sector leaders, development partners and other stakeholders to develop practical actions towards building an economy that creates jobs, raises productivity and delivers shared prosperity.
