UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA: THE CERTIFICATION SCAM

By Udi Loveth (B.A. Student, English and Literary Studies, DELSU)

Abuja, Nigeria – June 2026

Unemployment is one of the major challenges facing Nigeria’s socio-economic system. Its effects include poverty, a high dependency ratio, reduced national output, increased rural-urban migration, and many others. Unemployment is not just a figure in a government report; it is your coursemate selling data bundles at the DELSU gate, graduates selling phone accessories in Yaba, or the Mechanical Engineering graduate in Delta who cannot weld gates. It is the B.Sc. holder in Lagos running errands for a ₦70,000 salary while doing menial jobs. It has left millions of young Nigerians wondering whether the four to six years spent earning a degree were worth it.

For decades, we have blamed the problem on a lack of jobs, but the real issue is that we continue to train people for an economy that no longer exists. Millions of graduates are not idle; they are hustling. They are underemployed, unprotected, and working outside the fields their degrees were meant to prepare them for.

Take a good look at Onitsha Main Market or scroll through LinkedIn at 11 p.m., where many people are desperately searching for opportunities. Some, out of frustration, even turn to crime just to survive. Nigerian universities continue to produce graduates in Law, Mass Communication, and Business Administration, while technology companies, logistics firms, and agro-processing industries struggle to find skilled workers.

A self-taught welder with two years of practical experience may outperform a first-class Mechanical Engineering graduate who has only seen a lathe machine in a textbook. Why? Most public universities still focus heavily on theory, with the goal of passing examinations rather than solving real-world problems. This explains why many employers have to retrain new employees from scratch.

The informal sector carries much of Nigeria’s workforce. Over 85% of Nigerians work in the informal economy. Although it provides employment, the jobs often come with unstable income, no pension, no insurance, and little or no opportunity for career growth. It is survival, not a career.

Small businesses create most of the jobs in Nigeria, yet they struggle with multiple taxation, high interest rates, unstable electricity, and the rising cost of diesel. Many small and medium-sized enterprises spend a large portion of their income on power generation. When businesses cannot grow, they cannot employ more people.

A commercial transport worker in Abraka expressed his disappointment in the value placed on degrees today. According to him, “All of this education and certification you are trying to attain will not amount to anything.” His statement reflects the frustration many Nigerians feel about the growing disconnect between education and employment.

Unemployment in Nigeria results from the shortage of available jobs to match the country’s growing population. Even those who are employed often live with the fear of losing their jobs because of retrenchment and job insecurity. It also affects national development, as many qualified youths remain unemployed while some available positions are given to unqualified individuals through influence and connections.

The effects of unemployment include increased crime and other social vices, poor mental and physical health, migration (“Japa”), poverty, and many other social problems.

Unemployment will not be solved by a single government programme. It will improve when workers possess skills that meet labour market demands and when the cost of doing business no longer discourages employers from hiring. As individuals, we should keep our degrees but also develop practical skills that people are willing to pay for. Learning digital skills, data analysis, technical trades, and other in-demand skills can improve employment opportunities. Certificates may open doors, but skills often pay the bills.

For the country, the solution lies in removing barriers that make it difficult for businesses to grow and employ more people. Nigeria must stop preparing students for jobs that no longer exist and instead provide quality practical training and adequate learning equipment in schools.

The labour market is not waiting for government policies. The question is whether we will adapt or continue producing graduates who know the theory but lack practical workplace skills. If a degree alone can no longer guarantee employment in 2026, what skill will you begin to develop this week? And how many more graduates must struggle before we admit that the system needs to change?