The Chairman of the Sector Skills Council for Information and Communications Technology, Mr. Shola Oshilaja, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s growing digital skills gap, warning that the country could lose up to $11 billion annually in potential economic growth if urgent steps are not taken.
Speaking through the Council’s Secretary, Mr. Chukwuemeka Okafor, at the 21st anniversary celebration of the Digital Bridge Institute in Abuja, Oshilaja emphasised the critical need to equip Nigeria’s workforce for the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy.
“In Nigeria, the digital skills gap could cost our economy an estimated $11 billion annually in lost growth opportunities,” he said. “The question before us is clear: how do we prepare Nigeria’s workforce not just for today’s market but for tomorrow’s?”
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Citing data from the World Economic Forum, Oshilaja noted that by 2027, approximately 69% of global companies are expected to accelerate their adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), potentially displacing 85 million jobs while creating 97 million new ones. He stressed that Nigeria must act swiftly to ensure its workforce is ready to compete and thrive in this new digital landscape.
To address this challenge, he called for urgent policy reforms and educational interventions, including the integration of digital skills such as coding, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and AI fundamentals into secondary school curricula. He also advocated for the institutionalisation of work-based learning models through mandatory internships and apprenticeships.
Oshilaja further urged the federal government to establish a National ICT Skills Framework, aligned with global standards and guided by the Council’s recommendations. He emphasised the need for government agencies to harmonise policies and regulations that promote digital skills development and to provide incentives for private sector investment in digital training programmes.
“This is the time for coordinated action. Without strategic intervention, Nigeria risks being left behind in the global digital economy,” he concluded.
