Tinubu Raises Alarm over Rising Graduate Unemployment, Tasks Varsities on Job-driven Curricula

Fidelis David in Akure

President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed concern over the increasing number of graduates entering the labour market, stressing the importance of aligning university curricula with employability, entrepreneurship and job creation.

This is just as he urged Nigerian universities to strengthen their role in driving national development through cutting-edge research, innovation, and improved industry collaborations.

Tinubu stated these while speaking at the award of postgraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees to graduates as part of the 36th Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

The president, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said: “I must admit that while today’s occasion gives much joy, it is overwhelming to note the number of graduates that are to be added to the labour market. It is, therefore, needful to pay close attention to the relevance of our curricula to employability and job creation”, and emphasise that all hands must be on deck to ensure that FUTA graduates are not only self-reliant, but consistently so.

“While it is agreed that the government alone cannot provide job opportunities directly for the teeming graduates of our higher educational institutions, the government will continue to create an enabling environment for investments and businesses to thrive; this administration recognises the critical role of science, technology and innovation in our national development.

“We are, therefore, committed to policies that strengthen education, promote research funding, and foster collaborations between universities and industries. We are also pursuing the digital economy agenda, renewable energy initiatives, and infrastructure development, all of which open new opportunities for your graduates to contribute meaningfully to national growth and development.”

Tinubu also urged young graduates to explore the agricultural value chain, which he described as a goldmine capable of generating jobs and wealth.

He outlined ongoing reforms in the education sector, including the revitalisation blueprint for university education, increased interventions from TETFund, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), and the recently introduced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), aimed at cushioning the hardships faced by university workers.

 In her address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Temidayo Oladiji, highlighted FUTA’s significant achievements over the past academic year, noting that the university maintained its ranking among the top 10 universities in Nigeria in the 2025 Times Higher Education ranking.

The vice-chancellor also disclosed several groundbreaking feats, including FUTA’s successful hosting of the maiden Colloquium of Tertiary Institutions in Ondo State, and the reconfirmation of the university’s Department of Meteorology and Climate Science as a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Regional Training Centre for another five-year term.

Earlier, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, applauded FUTA, describing it as a global force in technological innovation and a strategic partner in the state’s development agenda.

The governor, who was represented by the Director General of the Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU), Mr. Razaq Obe, said he held an immutable belief in the power of education and remained immensely proud of the role FUTA plays as a beacon of light and a catalyst for development.