By joshua 
Don Sounds Alarm on Nigeria’s Skills Gap At KSP 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony.
… Caution against making technical, vocational education second opinion.
A prominent Professor, Christian Ezeibe, has warned that Nigeria’s growth is being hindered by a critical shortage of technical skills, despite producing hundreds of thousands of graduates annually.
Prof. Christian Ezeibe, Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, made the remarks at the 2026 Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
The University Don lamented and caution Nigerians against making technical, vocational education second opinion. He called for prioritizing technical and vocational education to serve as the drivers of the country’s economy
According to Ezeibe, Nigeria spends over $20 billion annually on expatriate services and remittances, with a significant portion going to technical personnel from countries like India, China, and the Philippines.
Prof. Ezeibe disclosed that the nations backwardness is largely due to lack of skilled Nigerians in key industries like construction, manufacturing, and power.
While pointing out that Nigerian ought to with it population serve as exporter of manpower, said the need for emphasis on technical and vocational education cannot be over emphasized.
The professor attributed the problems of lack of Skills to a societal preference for academic certificates over technical skills, with many families favoring careers in law, medicine, or academia.
Prof. Ezeibe cited the example of Enugu State, which has launched initiatives to revamp technical education and provide skills training to its citizens.
Ezeibe urged Kogi State to develop its own skills revolution blueprint, emphasizing the need for investment in technical education and infrastructure.
He also called for stronger industry-academia partnerships to provide students with practical experience and address the skills gap.
He mentioned that the Dangote Group is already taking steps to address the issue, investing in training locals for technical roles currently filled by expatriates.
He however said more needs to be done to address the shortage of skilled workers and drive sustainable development in Nigeria.
He called for improvement in the funding of Polytechnic education, pointing out that the growth and development of the country depends on the resources for research and development.
He called for huge investment in research and development, concluded that the high time for Government to address the dichotomy of Polytechnic and University education remains now.
The Don called on Government to declare a National emergency on technical and vocational education, abrogate the dichotomy existing between Polytechnic and University education.
He called for industry linkages between Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja and other industries, charged the Lecturers to upgrade themselves and inspire students to be conscious about technical education.
He called on the graduating students to develop their skills acquired from the Polytechnic, urged the students to see themselves as problem solvers and not certicafe holders, lauded Prof. Salisu Ogbo, Rector of the Polytechnic for breaking the limitations of acquiring technical and vocational education.