Nigerian Graduates Mentality and Why They Can't be Employed

This article “The Mentality Of A Fresh Nigerian Graduate” is based on how some of our graduates in Nigeria thinks. Some of them believe that the government should do everything for them

Some of them believe once they graduate they will get a job in an oil company, but they are woken up to the shock reality of unemployment and no existent jobs.

In this article the writer proffer solutions to most of the problems and challenges these fresh graduates face.

Now, let’s get talking.. You need to pick up your pen and read this as it will surely change your Life.

Nigeria is a country filled with many problems awaiting solutions, but her Citizens are blind to identify solutions to these problems. Some of these problems have been there for ages, while some are new, begging for solutions.

I once heard of a Lebanese man who came to Nigeria, when he saw how the country was and the attitude of her Citizens, he declared that “there is so much money on the streets but the populace could not see them“.

1. IDENTIFY A PROBLEM & CREATE A SOLUTION AROUND IT

What he tried to say is that there are so many problems which if anyone could find solutions to, he would be smiling to the bank with a fat account.

No thanks to the Nigerian educational system that keeps putting the mentality of Job seekers in its students ☹☹

After four or five years, a graduate cannot boast of any skills which they can use to create a job, rather what the systems thought and is still teaching them is how to be job seekers.

I once read a book titled “IDIOTS WITH B.S.C” by Collins Oscar, in the book the writer overheard a particular graduate complaining of so many things that are wrong in this country, how the system kills innovations and so on.

The writer told him that that is why he is a graduate, the country expected him and the rest to provide solutions to these myriads of problems in this country.

Some of these graduates have been told that after graduation they will probably get a job in an oil company, with fat salaries, allowances, official cars and so on, only to graduate and realized that they were all lies.

They lament about the government not providing jobs for its teeming youths who are graduates.

2. WE ARE BEEN TRAINED/TUTORED WITH OUTDATED MATERIALS & SOFTWARES

Before I proceed with this, let me tell you a short story about a friend of mine (True life story) ☹☹

A friend of mine graduated from a Nigerian University (Studied Computer Science and Graduated with 4.5 CGPA) and he decided to travel to the US to work and earn some money but on getting there, the story changed.

He couldn’t get a good job because he was trained with FOTRAN 2001 version in the year 2015 (Very very Outdated) when the Company he was seeking Employment at is already using a very recent Computer Program (Version 2016 in the year 2016).

My Friends was advised to start schooling again (from the very beginning) in the US and guessed what, in less than just 2 months, he can handle everything he was taught in Nigeria for 4 years.

The problem is that our Education system is not improving and the Lecturers does not see a need to improve on what they know thereby releasing junk graduates into the system who can’t fit into the System with their knowledge.

3. OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS NOT EFFICIENT ENOUGH

Most road-side mechanic are better than Universities Lecturers & Professors.

Some of these graduates studied engineering in the school, after years of stay in school, they could not construct an ordinary machine to grind melon 😢😢

imagine if one of them construct a grinding machine, he will employ thousands If not millions and liberate himself and his generation from poverty.

Some of these graduates are so proud to learn the practicals of their chosen career.

For Example

A graduate who studied mechanical engineering in school should humble himself and learn the practicals and hands-on-training from the roadside mechanic. It will help!

But most of them see the roadside mechanic as never do well, but they forgot that he has many years of practical experience even more than their Lecturers & Professors in the Universities and for them to access this knowledge, they have to humble themselves.

Indeed most of these graduates will never take on low paying jobs, rather than find something doing, they go about feeding fat on their family and friends.

We know the country is hard but we no longer want people that all they do is cry and complain about what is wrong and what is not working. We need people who will change the narratives of this country.

Nigerian graduates should start to change their mentality by investing in their minds, they have to do away with employee mentality that they were groomed with.

Learning never stops so they should keep learning new skills, go for that training, instead of going to clubs and buying expensive things they could barely afford just to show off.

They should also find something worthwhile doing while awaiting their dream jobs, they should humble themselves and volunteer. I tell you there are a lot of things you will learn by Volunteering for organizations, individuals.

4. TECHNOLOGY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

Technology is also another platform that offers a wide range of opportunities for our teeming unemployed youths.

There are jobs that never existed six or ten years before such as Digital Marketer, Social Media Manager etc

Technology creates avenues for people to take on a new career. They should also learn a short-term skill to make a living for themselves. Short time skills such as Web design, Graphic design e.t.c

Go for a Training, Seminar or Workshop today, your life will never remain the same.

5. THEIR MENTALITY SHOULD CHANGE

Lastly their mentality should also change from employee to employers mentality. The flood of unemployment ravaging our nation is too much for us to curtail.

We no longer want graduates that will come and join the already saturated unemployed youths. We need those that will create jobs, opportunities, investment for others.

They should start that little business, from there the work of their hands will be blessed. They should also not despise the days of their little beginnings.

The End!

Written by:- Adetayo Omotoyosi (A Writer, Poet, Philosopher and a Laptop Specialist based in Lagos)