A Canadian-based Nigerian academic, Dr Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi, has called for a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s education system to produce graduates equipped with practical skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities rather than certificates alone.
Igbalajobi, Founder of Scholarships Cafe and a faculty member at the University of British Columbia, made the call while advocating stronger links between universities, industries, government and communities to ensure that education contributes directly to national development.
He said although Nigeria had continued to produce talented professionals who excelled globally in fields such as medicine, technology, academia, business and research, the country needed to focus more on developing the capacity of young people to apply knowledge to real-world challenges.
According to him, certificates remain important as evidence of academic achievement, but are no longer sufficient in a rapidly changing global economy that increasingly rewards competence, creativity, adaptability and the ability to create value.
“The future Nigerian graduate must not only know. The future Nigerian graduate must be able to do,” he said, stressing the need for a shift from certificate acquisition to capability development.
Igbalajobi cited education systems in countries such as Canada, Germany, Finland and Singapore as examples of models that place greater emphasis on experiential learning, practical skills, critical thinking, innovation and the connection between education and economic needs.
He said Nigerian universities should become environments where students, researchers, businesses and government could collaborate to develop solutions to societal challenges.
The don advocated the establishment and strengthening of innovation hubs in universities, saying such facilities could help students transform ideas into prototypes, research into products and creativity into enterprises.
He explained that a computer science student, for instance, should have opportunities to develop solutions to real problems, while students of biological sciences should participate in research addressing challenges in healthcare, agriculture and the environment.
He also called for stronger partnerships between government, universities and the private sector, noting that government could provide policy support, industries could offer funding and mentorship, while universities could contribute talent and research capacity.
Igbalajobi further stressed the importance of digital infrastructure, saying students and researchers should have access to global academic resources and digital tools needed to collaborate and compete internationally.
He said Nigeria should also prepare its young people for the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, finance, education and research.
According to him, AI literacy should form part of modern education across disciplines, with students trained not only to use technology but also to develop technological solutions to Nigerian problems.
The academic also noted that recent initiatives by the Federal Ministry of Education focusing on skills development, innovation and recognition of academic excellence represented important steps towards building a future-ready education system.
He, however, said recognition of academic achievement must be matched with opportunities for funding, mentorship, commercialisation and practical application of research findings.
Igbalajobi cited the Ekiti Scholarship Summit as an example of how structured support could help talented young people access opportunities, saying the summit was organised to increase awareness of fully funded international scholarships and equip students and graduates with the skills required to compete globally.
He said the summit attracted final-year students, graduates, MSc and PhD applicants, as well as early-career professionals from diverse academic backgrounds.
He noted that participants gained knowledge in areas including scholarship identification, CV preparation, statements of purpose, research proposals and application strategies.
He, however, said the experience also exposed the need for sustainable systems that would provide young people with consistent access to career guidance, mentorship, scholarship information and global opportunities.
Igbalajobi urged universities to establish stronger career support centres, mentorship programmes and partnerships that would help students translate their knowledge and ideas into tangible impact.
He said the ultimate measure of an education system should not be the number of certificates awarded but the impact graduates create in society.
“The purpose of education is not simply to prepare people for the world of work. The purpose of education is to prepare people to improve the world they inherit,” he said.
