Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s education system to address the disconnect between educational institutions and industry needs.
Zulum made this appeal while hosting the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, during a courtesy visit at the Government House in Maiduguri.
In a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Dauda Iliya, Zulum expressed concern over the inadequacy of skills among graduates to drive innovation and technological progress. He emphasized the need for actionable solutions to equip graduates for self-employment rather than relying solely on limited job opportunities.
“We have two major problems in our educational system: the mismatch between educational institutions and industries, as they do not communicate effectively, and the mismatch between the labour market and graduates, many of whom are unprepared to work in the industries,” Zulum said.
He urged NELFUND to focus on bridging these gaps and supporting initiatives that encourage entrepreneurship, technical education, and vocational training.
“Beyond offering loans, I urge you to explore ways to support entrepreneurship education and promote technical and vocational training to reduce the reluctance toward these critical areas of study,” the governor added.
Earlier, Sawyerr outlined NELFUND’s mission to address the rising number of students dropping out due to financial constraints. He highlighted that the loan provided is interest-free, with repayment pegged at 10 percent of the beneficiary’s income upon securing employment.
