Many Nigerian graduates are leaving university with qualifications that do not adequately prepare them for available jobs, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FUSE Varsity, Hassanah Abubakar, has said.
Abubakar identified outdated curricula, insufficient practical training and rapid changes in the labour market as major factors widening the gap between university education and employers’ expectations.
She spoke during an interview with The Nigeria Education News, alongside the platform’s Chief Operating Officer, Hussainah Abubakar, and Chief Technical Officer, Isaac Oyeniyi.
According to Hassanah, universities have struggled to keep pace with changes in the world of work, leaving graduates needing additional training before they can compete effectively for employment.
“A whole lot of traditional universities are still backwards. They have outdated curricula. They have a lot of— they don’t factor in enough practicability,” she said.
She explained that the growth of digital platforms, the internet economy and artificial intelligence had created occupations and skills requirements that many existing curricula do not sufficiently address.
She cited social media management, digital marketing and content creation as examples of areas that have gained prominence as technology transforms how businesses operate.
“The market is evolving because of several impacts, several things that are happening and several things are impacting that change,” she said.
Hassanah said her transition from biochemistry into technology and product development exposed her to the disconnect between university training and workplace demands.
“I graduated with biochemistry. I mean, I’m coming out from university, and I’m realising that the job market is entirely even different from what I had been expecting,” she said.
She explained that FUSE Varsity was established partly to address that gap through training in project and product management, digital marketing, data analysis, artificial intelligence and virtual assistance.
“We are not here to replace traditional classrooms, but we are here to basically bridge that gap when it comes to talent and opportunity,” she said.
For Oyeniyi, curriculum reform alone would not resolve the problem without investment in equipment and other resources needed for practical learning.
Oyeniyi, who is studying Information Technology at the University of Ilorin while working as a software developer, said large student populations and limited facilities could restrict institutions’ ability to deliver effective training.
“It’s very hard to train, let’s say in departments, 150 to 200 people on computer skills when there are only, I don’t know, 50 computers in a faculty or something like that,” he said.
He also stressed the need to sustain initiatives such as industrial training and innovation hubs, warning that reforms could lose their impact without continued support and accountability.
“If it requires putting people in place that keeps that particular institution accountable to that particular implementation, then so be it, because sustainability is really, really important,” he said.
Hussainah called for stronger collaboration between government, universities and private-sector education and technology providers, saying partnerships could help institutions address gaps they might struggle to close independently.
Explaining FUSE Varsity’s approach, she said learners undertake practical projects and simulations, with mentorship and career discussions provided through a learner community.
According to her, some of the platform’s training programmes cost as little as ₦5,000, as part of efforts to make skills development more accessible.
Hassanah added that flexible learning arrangements, reminders and community engagement were intended to support learners who combine training with employment and other responsibilities.
However, when asked how many learners had secured jobs or improved their careers directly through the programmes, Hassanah did not provide specific employment or placement figures during the interview.
She instead cited learner engagement, course completion and individual career progress as outcomes observed by the platform.
Looking ahead, Hassanah said artificial intelligence could further reshape entry-level work, increasing the importance of problem-solving, critical thinking and data-related skills over the next five to 10 years.
She argued that young Nigerians would increasingly need to use technology to solve problems, as routine tasks become more susceptible to automation.
The executives urged government, universities and private training providers to work together to expand practical learning opportunities.
Oyeniyi said private organisations could complement university and government efforts, while government could provide a framework for successful interventions to reach more institutions.
Hassanah maintained that producing graduates must be accompanied by efforts to ensure their skills remain practical, adaptable and relevant to the changing labour market.
