IMAGINE spending four years or more in university, attending lectures, hundreds of thousands spent (if not up to millions even in the so-called federal Universities), burning night candles, writing exams and holding onto the promise that education is the key to a better future. Now imagine graduating, only to sit at home jobless, with a degree that feels more like a decorative paper than a passport to success. Across Nigeria, frustration is rising among graduates who followed the “go to school and succeed” script, only to end up stranded. With limited opportunities, rising tuition costs and a system producing a more certificates than careers, one question echoes louder than ever: “Is education not beginning to look like a scam in Nigeria?”

For decades, education in Nigeria was considered the ultimate ladder to success. For generations, education was the dream every parent pushed their children toward, often at the great personal cost, such as selling of property and taking loans to ensure their children had access to schooling. From primary school through to university level, families invested not just money, but hope, believing that a certificate would open doors, provide security and lift entire household out of poverty. The popular belief was simple: “Go to school, graduate, and secure a good job.” This belief wasn’t just preached at home, it was echoed in classrooms, in churches and mosques and through government that praised education as the key to national development.

The system once justified that belief. Back then, a degree was a badge of honour. Graduates were respected and often walked into jobs with banks, oil companies or government agencies. The promise seemed real and for a time it worked. Education was also tied to pride. Being the “first graduate in the family” was a badge of. Communities celebrated academic excellence and government’s scholarships rewarded brilliance. The narrative was strong and simple : “Education equals success”. However, the landscape began to shift. The job market grew smaller, universities became overcrowded and strikes disrupted academic calendars. The number of graduates increased, flooding the labour market faster than the economy could absorb them. Today, the Nigeria job market tells a very different story from the one many were raised to believe. Each year, hundreds of thousands of graduates are released into an economy that cannot absorb them. For many, the job hunt begins with high hopes and ends with frustration. CVs go unanswered, interviews are few and far between, and even when job is found, it is often in a role that barely reflects the years of academic struggles or the qualification earned.

The phrase “overqualified or underqualified”has become too common. Many graduates now work in unrelated field just to survive, such as teaching without a degree in education, doing POS even as a first class graduate in biochemistry e. t. c. And others are stuck in endless internship or NYSC with no transition to permanent employment. One of the most painful realities is the demand for experience. Something fresh graduates are expected to have but rarely get the opportunity to build, as a result, doors stay shut no matter how polished the degree or impressive the grades. Even the much anticipated NYSC year offers no long-term promise. Many Corp members are placed in irrelevant roles and in completion, the majority returns to Jo hunt. Those lucky enough to get retained or have a job often earn peanuts and sometimes, not even enough to cover transport, feeding and rent. The public institutions continue to battle frequent Asuu (Academic staff union of universities) strikes, leading to delayed graduation and disrupted learning. Worse still is the growing mismatch between what is taught in school and what the job market demand. Graduates are increasingly told they lack practical skills, critical skills and digital literacy. But how can students be blamed when they are taught theory in an overcrowded lecture halls, with little or no exposure to field?.

The sad irony? Many of those who once mocked skilled trades or informal works are now embracing tailoring, farming and other skilled trades, not because they gave up on education but because education gave up on them. The long-standing belief in education as the guarantee of success is being reexamined. The gap between academic questions and real-opportunities has widened so much that many now wonder if we have been sold a dream that no longer exists.

The struggle faced by Nigerians

The struggle faced by Nigerian graduates today are not just the result of bad luck or poor decisions; they are deeply rooted in a broken system. At nearly every level. The country’s educational structure is out of sync with the real world. Starting with curriculum. In a world where digital skills, artificial intelligence and creative thinking are shaping the future, many Nigerian universities still teach outdated theories using notes that haven’t changed in decades. Students are handed information and not transformation. They graduate with certificate, not skills, ill-equipped to face the demands of a modern job market. Then, there is the state of the institutions themselves. Public universities are overcrowded and poorly maintained. Students sit on broken chairs in jam-packed lecture halls while laboratories remain empty or under stocked. Access to current learning materials is limited and practical exposure is almost non-existent in many courses. Lecturers, though passionate, are often overworked and underpaid and it reflects in the quality of delivery. Poor funding has only made matters worse. Year after year, education receives a disappointing share of the national budget, far below global standards. Which results in frequent strikes, abandoned infrastructure, demoralized staff and a generation of students who spend more time at home than in class. Employers are looking for skills that universities don’t teach, and there is a little effort to bridge that gap. Internship programmes are rare and often ineffective and job placements care left to chance or connection.

Entrepreneurship, which is often seen or promoted as a solution is not an easy alternative. The environment is tough, access to funding is limited, support systems are weak and the business space is riddled with bureaucracy and inconsistent policies. Loan are difficult to access and start-up policies rarely favour young people without collateral or connections. (See the rest on www.tribuneonlineng.com)

Ultimately, the problem is not just that graduates are jobless, it is that the system that produced them did not prepare them to thrive. With all these challenges stacked up, it is no surprise that the mindset of young Nigerians is changing and fast. 5he belief that education is the only route to success is being questioned more openly than before. These days, the most common advice among youths is not just go to school but to learn a skill, start something and “japa” if possible.

Many students now go through school with one foot in and one foot out, attending classes while also taking tech courses online, learning fashion design, baking or managing small business. Certificates have become a backup plan, not the main plan. For some, school is just a formality to keep parents happy while they focus on what might actually pay the bills.

Social media has played a major role in this shift. It has exposed young people to new paths such as content creation, digital marketing, coding, forex trading, photography e.t.c,these opportunities don’t necessarily require a degree but offer quicker returns. Influencers, tech brose and entrepreneurs have become role models, not PhD holders.

Even among parents, there is quiet shift. Many who once pushed their children to get degrees now emphasize “getting something you can fall back on”. The one-sharp line between “educated” and “skilled” is getting to blur.

For those who still believe in education, it is often no longer about knowledge, it is about migration. A foreign degree is now seen as a ticket to Japan, with better job prospects and quality of life abroad. As a result, studying becomes a means to an end, not the end itself.

What this all shows is that the Nigerian youths are no longer just accepting what they were told. They are questioning, adapting and rewriting the rules. And while the mindset shift might seem rebellious to some, it is simply survival. Because when the system stops working, people stop waiting and start looking elsewhere.

What are the solutions to all these? First, there must be a complete overhaul of the outdated curriculum used in many Nigerian institutions. Education should evolve alongside the demands of the 21st century workplace. Courses must be restructured to include practical skills, digital literacy, Entrepreneurship and critical thinking. Universities, polytechnics and colleges must begin to teach students not just how to pass exams but how to solve real-world problems, adapt and innovate.

Secondly, there should also be a collaboration between academic institutions and the private sector. Employers should be involved in shaping course content to ensure relevance. Internship programmes, mentorship opportunities and graduate trainee scheme must be institutionalized. This would give students early exposure to real work environment and reduce the experience gap that hinders many job seekers today.

The government must prioritize education in its budgeting and planning. Proper funding can improve infrastructure, reduce strikes, increase research opportunities and attract skilled educators. When learning environments are stable and well-equipped, the quality of graduates will improve significantly.

Also, merit must be brought back into the system. Recruitment processes in both the public and private sectors need to be transparent and fair. When opportunities are distributed based on competence and not connection, young people will feel more motivated to build their skills and compete.

While, studying and working abroad offers great benefits, Nigeria must also create an environment worth coming back to. Scholarships, exchange programmes and international collaboration are great, but there must be incentives for young talents to return and build at home. The goal is not to stop migration, but to make staying an equally valuable option.

The system may be flawed, but it is not beyond repair. With collective will and smart decisions, Nigeria can reshape its education sector and open doors of opportunities for its youths. A future where young people no longer feel scammed by the system,but empowered by it. It is a goal we can achieve if we start now.

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