By Samuel Luka
Emeritus Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo has said that Northern Nigeria is facing an imminent human capital crisis, with hundreds of thousands of skilled graduates needed over the next decade to drive sustainable development.
He said this on Friday evening while delivering a paper at a public lecture ahead of the 8th, 9th, and 10th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Sa'adu Zungur University (SAZU) Bauchi, Sambo highlighted the pressing need for engineers to install and maintain renewable energy infrastructure, as well as teachers, nurses, doctors, agronomists, ICT specialists, public administrators, and community development workers.
"The production of this human capital is the primary mission of the university system," Prof. Sambo emphasized. "Universities are the trainers of trainers. Every teacher in every primary and secondary school across Northern Nigeria passed through our faculties or institutions", he added.
According to him, "the quality of education at the base depends directly on the quality of teacher preparation at the tertiary level."
Sambo stressed that universities must prioritize equipping teachers to address the unique challenges faced by students in conflict-affected areas, including trauma, multilingual learners, and girls at risk of early marriage.
He cited the Centre for Girls' Education in Kaduna as a model for effective teacher training, which has achieved remarkable results in promoting girls' education.
However, Prof. Sambo lamented that the quality and relevance of graduates produced by Nigerian universities, particularly in the North, have been questioned by employers and evaluators.
Sambo said a 2021 survey found that over 60% of employers reported that university graduates lacked practical skills, while over 40% identified poor English language communication as a barrier.
"University curricula must be continuously updated in partnership with industry to ensure that graduates are not only knowledgeable but employable, entrepreneurial, and capable of creating new enterprises," Prof. Sambo urged.
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