Experts Say AI and Digital Skills Are Essential for Nigerian Students' Future Jobs

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

Stakeholders urged Nigerian students to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital skills, warning that academic certificates alone may no longer secure meaningful employment in an increasingly technology‑driven labour market.

The call came during the first Career Guidance and Skills Acquisition Workshop organised by the Open Africa Foundation in partnership with the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat. The event was held at Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

With the theme “The Future of Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Empowering Young Minds, Shaping the Future,” the workshop brought together education and security stakeholders to prepare students for job realities shaped by rapid technological advancement.

Open Africa Foundation Chairman Tunde Aworinde said the programme was designed to close the widening gap between classroom learning and workplace requirements. He noted that many graduates leave school without the practical skills needed for employment or entrepreneurship.

Aworinde expressed concern over rising youth unemployment, which he estimates at between 30 % and 40 %. He stressed that the situation demands a shift in mindset among young people.

“Many go through the education system with only certificates and not the skills required either to get jobs or create opportunities for themselves,” he said.

He also warned of a growing “mental poverty” among youths, where even highly educated individuals struggle to translate academic achievements into productive engagement. He cited a doctoral degree holder in Political Science who, after failing to secure employment, publicly appealed for a job at the Presidential Villa, describing such actions as evidence of a deeper mindset challenge beyond unemployment statistics.

“The idea is to get students to start thinking early about life after school. You don’t have to pass through the system and end up jobless,” Aworinde added.

Assistant Inspector‑General of Police (rtd) and Deputy Coordinator of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat Stanley Ude highlighted the double‑edged nature of AI. While it creates new opportunities, it is also being exploited for sophisticated criminal activities.

Ude said emerging threats such as cyber fraud, deepfakes and AI‑driven misinformation are reshaping the crime landscape, requiring a new generation of tech‑informed professionals in law enforcement.

“AI has introduced new dimensions to crime. Criminals are increasingly using it for cyber fraud, deepfakes and fake news,” Ude said.

He explained that modern policing now depends on a multidisciplinary approach involving technology experts, legal practitioners and forensic specialists. Reforms within the Nigeria Police Force aim to strengthen capacity through digital tools and institutional restructuring.

Ude further noted that the collaboration between the Police Reform Secretariat and the Open Africa Foundation is intended to improve young people’s perception of the police and deepen trust in ongoing reforms.

“The essence of this collaboration is also to help young people understand that the police are there to protect them. When there is distress or crime, the police remain the first point of contact,” he said.

He added that ongoing reforms focus on improving professionalism, efficiency and service delivery through technology‑driven policing systems.

Workshop findings showed that students from about 20 public and private secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were trained in AI, cybersecurity, solar installation and video editing as part of efforts to equip them with practical, future‑ready skills.