Stallone-Obaraemi Samuel: What lies ahead for the Nigerian Graduate? (Pt 1)

Between the ages 4-6, Olumide has already been enrolled in a primary school. Ages 10 and 12 will see him probably out of primary and in a secondary school. Between 16 and 18, he is out of secondary school and most likely in the university. Between 22 and probably 25, he is out of the higher institution depending on his programme of study, and is set for the National Youth Service Scheme. One year after he passes out of the NYS programme he begins to look for a job. If he is fortunate, he might find a job almost immediately, maybe in months, or a year, or maybe 2 years, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, maybe never a regular job. Ten years down the line he is probably in his mid or late 30s but employers are looking for fresh blood, hot brains from the ovens of the higher institutions of learning. The question is; are these so-called higher institutions actually institutions for learning? Do they actually transform people in learning and in character in tandem with the demands of the 21 century? Those are questions that stare us every day in the face..

The scenario painted above is probably not an all-encompassing one. Some of those graduating today have been fortunate to have a relatively softer life, smooth passage through examinations and various school processes. However, some of them may have had worse experiences than Olumide. Some probably hail from humble homes, where the father is a civil servant, sometimes owed salaries, or maybe a labourer, and mother is a petty trader who supports daddy to see you through school. Some of them may be both bread winners and students.

Olumide’s experience may strike various graduating students differently depending on their experiences in life. Some things are certain. The labour world and the uncertainty to life wait out there for them. Whether they allow the situations out there gain mastery over them, or they take charge of what happens in their lives, is a matter of choices.

Typical Expectations of a Nigerian Graduate 

1. Go into the NYSC without hitches

2. Be posted to a favourable, commercially bustling state (he hardly thinks of making something out of nothing. The reason he tries to get his way through, by hook or by crook)

3. Pass out of service and either be retained in a favourable institution, or be employed by a well-paying organisation.

4. The rest such as good accommodation, family, further education etc., may follow.

Wanting good things is not bad in itself. Going about it the right way is the right thing to do. But I’ve got bad news for you. The world out there is cruel, uncaring, corrupt, unloving, unsupportive, and twisted; a world where “truth” is cloned. So be ready!

More Challenges out there

Family Expectations: Some might just be “unfortunate” to be the very first to graduate in the family. “Unfortunate” because it appears to me that we live in a society where a university degree (or its equivalent) is regarded in some quarters as an automatic ticket to success. So the entire family, extended family or maybe village looks upon this one graduate for the light to shine upon them. Just imagine the pressure some Nigerian or even African graduates face!

Half-Baked Graduate Syndrome: To make matters worse, some of them are not truly graduating today, because they have not really learned. They have spent half their time in school pursuing mundane and unnecessary things, and they have narrowly scaled through, sometimes aided directly or indirectly by those who are supposed to instil moral and ethical discipline in them, but failed to do same. I say this because as a business systems support specialist, with over a decade of HR management practice, I have interviewed so many graduates and sometimes I leave at the end of the interview, very upset that I have wasted my time. One is tempted to ask, “Did this people just get themselves enrolled in school, go back home only to return after a minimum of 4 years to receive a degree?” For some so-called graduates, there is absolutely nothing to show that they even attended a secondary school.  Well for such “graduates”, tough times are ahead. This is not a threat. It is real!

The Frustration of fallen Standards: Over the years there has been a hot debate as to whether university graduates in Nigeria are adequately educated. This is an issue that bothers both graduates and employers of labour. While graduates complain and use various means to voice their demand for government to provide jobs for them, employers on the other hand complain that graduates are poorly prepared for work. It is so bad that employers, recruiters, HR practitioners and business support specialists believe that academic standards have fallen considerably over the years, especially in the last 2.5 decades, in Nigeria. A university degree is no longer viewed as a guarantee of communication skills or technical competence.

A study conducted sometime in the year 2000 indicates that the unemployment rate for university graduates may be around 25 per cent. Today their prospects for employment have worsened over time.

In the course of the study mentioned above, several managers were interviewed and the following conclusions were drawn; 

1. University graduates are poorly trained and unproductive on the job.

2. Graduate skills have steadily deteriorated over the past decades.

3. Shortcomings are particularly severe in oral and written communication, and in applied technical skills. It is so bad that sometimes in interviews, candidates claim to be computer literate and when asked to prove it you get a response like “I can browse and use the internet. I can use Word sha…but I can learn. I am a fast learner”. The emptiness is strangulating.

In many cases, employers compensate for insufficient academic preparation by organizing remedial courses for new employees. Needless to say, this increases the firms’ operating costs, and reduces their profitability and competitiveness.

To be continued next week …

Stallone-Obaraemi Samuel is Senior Human Resources Manager with TNS Global. Follow him @twitter.com/Stupendousstal

 

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