What can be done to improve higher education quality and graduate employability in Nigeria? A stakeholder approach

Abstract

<jats:p> The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it identifies the extent to which Nigerian higher education institutions (HEIs) enable the development of graduate skills and employability. Second, it outlines the roles of the major stakeholders in higher education and suggests ways to improve graduates’ knowledge, employability and skills. The study is based on a qualitative design incorporating interviews with representatives of public and private organizations, education agencies and members of non-governmental organizations in Nigeria. The data were analysed thematically to ascertain the perceptions of key stakeholders. The findings reveal that there is a minimal collaboration between HEIs and industry and many HEIs in Nigeria lack the necessary pedagogy, funding and infrastructure to carry out the teaching of employability skills. Several practical and policy implications arise from the study regarding improving graduate employability in Nigeria – in particular, the need to create a culture and environment that are conducive to HEI–industry–government collaboration and the need to design the curriculum to enable the teaching of employability skills. </jats:p>

Factors affecting placement and hiring decisions: A study of students’ perceptions

“…They also found that students generally overestimated their abilities while employers highlighted deficiencies in fresh graduates. On similar lines, Nwajiuba et al (2020) emphasize that enhancing graduates' employability skills must be given more attention by all key stakeholders of higher education institutions (HEIs). The study identified a strong need to develop an academic culture that is conducive to HEI-industry-government collaboration and that academic administrators, faculties and policy makers needed to focus on designing curricula that would enable the teaching of employability skills.…”

Improving higher education standards through reengineering in West African universities – A case study of Nigeria

“…Apart from the funding inadequacies, there are several other factors affecting HE development. These have been attributed to ineffective governance, political leadership and corruption (Ochulor 2011), poor infrastructure, inadequate teaching facilities and skills mismatch (Nwajiuba et al 2020;Pitan and Adedeji 2012). Ezinwoke (2019), decried the high level of corruption in public universities across Nigeria, contending that the country's tertiary education system needs an urgent overhaulthus awakening the reengineering debate.…”

“…Another dimension of human capital development is an overemphasis on degree qualifications (Nwajiuba et al 2020). As a result, many young people are over-qualified or hold qualifications more than those required for vacant positions (Green and Zhu 2010) and this is interpreted as a disadvantage (Nielsen, 2011).…”

“…The higher education system (HES) on the continent focuses excessively on student admission standards, lecturers' academic qualifications, rigorous examination protocols, degree programme requirements, etc., while missing important policies required for quality education (Fredua-Kwarteng and Ofosu 2018). Some studies claim that knowledge exchange in the region has been decreasing (Asongu and Tchamyou 2016;British Council 2014;Nwajiuba et al 2020). According to UNESCO (2017), higher education (HE) faces difficult challenges, including a rapid increase in the number of students, brain drain, low course quality, difficulties in governance structures, and financial constraints.…”

Moderating effects of networks on the relationship between acculturation and entrepreneurial skills development: Evidence from Africans trained in China

“…A report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor program (GEM, 2019) highlighted the disparity in entrepreneurial activity between developed and developing countries. In fact, Africans are supporting entrepreneurship development and identifying good opportunities but feel discouraged by the fear of failure (Nwajiuba et al, 2020). In 2018, an IPSOS Global Advisory Survey on Entrepreneurialism shows that South Africa ranks better than (or similar to) China in many aspects of entrepreneurship.…”