By Aderonke Adegbite
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)’s recent announcement of new monitoring measures, age eligibility rules, and registration timelines for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has reignited debate about when and how young Nigerians should enter university. While policymakers focus on tightening admission rules, a deeper question must be asked: are Nigeria’s education and labour systems genuinely preparing young people for the jobs we need and the opportunities they desire, both now and in the future?
By law, a child becomes an adult at eighteen. Under labour standards, this age marks the point at which a young person should be sufficiently skilled to participate meaningfully in economic life. In fact, the basis for the 6 3 3 4 education system that we practice is that if a child starts primary school at six, they should be able to engage in economic activities 12 years later , even without tertiary education. However in reality, many young persons in Nigeria reach eighteen having spent 12 years in formal schooling with little or no practical, employable skills. They can pass examinations for promotion to next classes, but may not be able to translate academic knowledge into income-generating opportunities.
This disconnect raises a fundamental question: what exactly are we preparing our young people for?
The 6 3 3 4 system was designed to combine academic education with vocational and technical learning. Ideally, by the end of junior secondary school, students would possess skills that allow informed career choices, and exploration of entrepreneurship or employment opportunities. Unfortunately, in practice, persistent reasons have left technical components of the structure underdeveloped. The result is a system that tilts towards rewarding academic brilliance on paper and not necessarily in practice.
Recent policy discussions have considered reforms, including a 12 4 model emphasising skills, entrepreneurship, and a smoother transition into higher education. These reforms signal awareness of existing gaps. However does the solution really lie in unending reforms, new laws and multiple policies? Foundational Laws even of varying philosophies , such as the Child Rights Act (2003), the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act (2004), the Labour Act (Cap L1, 2004), and the National Policy on Nomadic Education (2009) already provide frameworks intended to ensure that all children develop skills for meaningful social and economic participation.
This idea underscores the common regulations that children should not engage in paid jobs until they are of adult age. Childhood is to play, learn and grow. The reality however makes it appear as if these laws contradict one another. Also multiple policies, persistent implementation gaps, and an overemphasis on academic examinations continue to distort the mandatory connect between education regulations and labour outcomes.
Universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education remain prestigious pathways. They are governed by frameworks such as the National Universities Commission (Establishment) Act (1974) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment) Act (2011). However, in a labour market that is increasingly focused on technical, digital, and entrepreneurial skills, traditional programmes often leave graduates unprepared. In the past decade, postgraduate degrees are now pursued not only to enhance practical skills and prestige but to delay employment in a structurally constrained economy. Hence, the benchmark for employable academic qualifications in Nigeria continues to shift.
Despite these systemic challenges, Nigerian youths have not been idle. In sectors such as renewable energy, specialised manufacturing, healthcare, agribusiness, and software development, some young people find work aligned with their training. In other cases, formal employment opportunities remain limited, prompting innovative responses. Rather than wait indefinitely for traditional employment or university admissions, many youths have carved income-generating paths in informal and digital sectors, including online retail, social media entrepreneurship, digital content creation, streaming, and entertainment. In many instances of success or frustration in these endeavors, formal education has been labeled as “a scam”. Real economic life and the ability to thrive in it has become a level play ground for young persons notwithstanding their academic degrees or qualifications.
Informal and largely unregulated sectors continuously reshape the Nigerian economic landscape by challenging the traditional notion that academic pathways are the only routes to success. In extreme instances of unemployment , graduates are even advised to acquire basic survival skills or trades. Others decide to travel far abroad to wherever their skills, creativity, or ingenuity are recognised and valued. These young people move strategically despite attending discomforts, following opportunities in regions or countries where their talents allow them to earn a living, build experience, or expand businesses. This mobility highlights resilience, adaptability, and pragmatic problem-solving skills, showing that Nigerian youth ingenuity cannot be constrained by geography. While these activities are often under-recognised in formal skill-development frameworks, they remain a clear exhibition of the capacity of Nigerian youths outside the traditional set up.
These trends underscore a pressing fact, students should leave junior secondary school equipped with practical, employable skills that enable them to participate in economic life. After their Senior Secondary School, Tertiary education should complement. Universities are not supposed to be positioned as foundations for skill acquisition. Young people should get admissions and graduate with more sophistication, more marketable skills, entrepreneurial insight, and practical experience, rather than relying solely on theoretical knowledge.
It is hence very important that outside the flair for multiplying policies and regulations, we remain clear and focused on a productive ideology that is underscored by coherent principles. That a young person of 18 years in Nigeria may not work. However, 12 years of formal education should make them employable and economically relevant. In the above regard, it should be over emphasized that education systems whether 6-3-3-4 or 12-4 actually promote the same agenda. The solution is not in reframing laws and policies. It lies in the goodwill to co-ordinate and implement.
Recommendations
Unified national plan: The Ministries of Education and Labour must collaborate under a shared strategy that aligns academic curricula and labour market needs from the earliest stages. Education should clearly lead to either employability or entrepreneurship, ensuring every stage builds tangible, marketable capabilities.
Early practical exposure: Vocational, entrepreneurial, and digital competencies should be introduced from primary and junior secondary school. Early exposure builds confidence, reveals talent, and equips young people to explore multiple career options rather than being restricted to a single academic track. Practical training should include project-based learning, industry simulations, and basic entrepreneurship exercises.
Adopt global best practices: Nigeria can learn from countries such as China, where students develop strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, STEM, and moral education before entering technical and vocational streams.
Students participate in innovation programmes, coding, robotics, and industry-linked projects, graduating with recognised competencies. Continuous, hands-on exposure ensures skills are aligned with labour market demand. All these encourage early entrepreneurship.
Strengthen TVET and apprenticeships: Technical and Vocational Education with Training must be modernised and made attractive. Apprenticeships, industry partnerships, and certification in emerging digital and creative economy skills should be expanded. Training pathways must clearly connect to available jobs or viable self-employment.
Address socio-cultural expectations: Societal norms that prioritise academic degrees above technical skills must be challenged. A working economy rewards all forms of skill. Career guidance, parental education, and national messaging should affirm the dignity and economic value of trades, technical expertise, and digital work alongside traditional professions.
Language of instruction: Early education should begin in a language children understand, typically their mother tongue, before gradually transitioning to English for higher-level academic and technical content. Clear language policy improves comprehension, skill retention, and inclusivity, particularly for rural and underserved communities.
Integrate private and NGO-led training: Private schools and non-governmental organisations already provide vocational, digital, and entrepreneurial training at scale. These initiatives should be recognised, regulated, and aligned with national standards. Accreditation frameworks and public–private partnerships can expand access to skills beyond the capacity of public institutions while maintaining quality.
Clear responsibility-sharing: Federal and state governments must ensure policy coherence, resource allocation, and oversight. Schools and tertiary institutions deliver quality instruction and practical exposure. Industry provides apprenticeships, work-based learning, and feedback on skill demand. NGOs complement formal education with specialised programmes and mentorship. Students themselves must actively engage in learning, acquiring skills, and planning their career pathways.
These recommendations are straightforward: clarity, coordination, and consistency are essential. Without alignment between education policy and labour strategy, Nigeria will continue to produce graduates whose knowledge exceeds the structures available to absorb their potential. Examination reforms matter.
Admission reforms matter. But the larger test is whether Nigeria can create an education-to-work pathway where young people are prepared for economic participation by 18, equipped with practical skills, entrepreneurial insight, and adaptability. Only then can education serve its purpose, which is, preparing youth not only to pass exams but to thrive wherever opportunity exists, at home, across Nigeria, or internationally.
Associate Professor Adegbite is an expert in Law, Inclusion and Community Development.
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