Shaping the Future of Nigerian Tech Talents with Mentorship

By Oluwatobi Odu

The deficit in the talent pipeline serving the Nigerian tech ecosystem is huge and alarming, but it’s a symptom, not the disease, Nigerian tertiary education should be the number one driver yet due to the types of courses or subjects being taught, more than 50% of graduate aren’t equipped for the modern day requirement of any job market. Tertiary institutions in Nigeria do not offer courses that are relevant to the current market’s demand. Curriculums used, especially in public universities which account for most graduates in Nigeria do not teach the relevant skills required in the job market. Computer science students in some universities are still taught Fortran, an outdated programming language with no real-world application.

Education is undoubtedly the most effective means for delivering quality talent to help close the gap, and until the Nigerian tertiary institutions catch up with modern times, and the disease is cured, we need to find a way to make the most of the available resources. Currently, as a community, we are making ongoing efforts to close this gap. There are government-led initiatives, tech communities, and companies like Andela; training and equipping Nigerians with in-demand tech skills. While this is laudable, and these initiatives will feed the pipeline, mentorship as a tool can also be used to complement these efforts.

With mentorship, we can turbocharge the pipeline and get more talents into the tech ecosystem. Mentorship is a powerful resource that can effectively address these highlighted challenges. As a long-time professional in the tech ecosystem field, mentors can help emerging talents understand how to translate theoretical concepts learned in the classroom to practical skills needed on the job while also providing guidance and encouragement. Mentors can also help mentees advance their careers by offering advice on job search strategies, key insights into a rapidly evolving industry like tech, and networking opportunities required to navigate and succeed in such an environment.

Here are four ways mentorship can help improve the talent pipeline;

Knowledge sharing across generations: Mentors can share tips and tricks which has helped them become leaders or voices of authority in the tech space, they can also share tips that mentees can’t find in textbooks. With experience comes a great deal of knowledge, and mentees can get access to these learnings easily from a mentor if they have one.

Encouraging discouraged job seekers with new career guidance: Annually, Nigerian universities produce an average of 400,000 graduates, and due to how admission into these universities is set up, students don’t always get the course they want to study, so a lot end up with courses that make them less desirable in the talent pool. With mentorship, these graduates can be redirected to bootcamps, or companies like Andela to acquire skills that can immediately increase their value. Mentorship can help mold these graduates on how they can harness transferable skills.

Feedback loop; helping the lost regain focus: Navigating a new career path can be challenging, and learning a skill can be daunting, particularly for graduates who are desperate to land a job or graduates who greenhorns to the tech space, mentors can help steady the turbulent waters or be a reality check to the overconfident, the goal is to feed the pipeline with capable talents and not half baked ones, regular sessions to review progress and feedback on work done is very important.

Networking for a greater purpose: Internship or placement programs aren’t easy to come by. opportunities are limited and are also not readily available across the board to aid the seamless transition from the classroom to the workplace. Aside from learning the necessary skills, it is crucial to acknowledge that getting into a new field might be challenging for anyone at the early stage of their career or those transitioning mid-career. Mentors can help connect the candidates to the right opportunities as they are well-embedded in the tech ecosystem, some work with VCs and start-ups already.

In closing, The Nigerian tertiary educational system needs reform as that would be the lasting cure to the disease. By integrating mentorship into the education system and the tech ecosystem, we can create a dynamic and adaptable solution to fill the void, while the reform happens. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Mentorship empowers that education, transforming it into the fuel that propels the Nigerian tech sector towards a brighter, more innovative future. There are so many platforms out there that can be introduced to students long before they graduate. I’ve been mentoring on ADPlist for roughly two years now and I’ve witnessed how mentorship can indeed help the lost or the confused.