Nigeria needs decisive national shift from paper qualifications to practical skills –Experts

…As EWAN summit pushes for solution

Policy makers and stakeholders in the education sector have been urged to champion the push for a decisive national shift from paper qualifications to practical skills in order to produce graduates with the practical abilities needed for a modern economy.

With Nigeria’s longstanding obsession with degrees, the country now grapples with increased incidents of examination malpractice, which has eroded the credibility of public assessments.

These were major takeaways from the 2025 Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) annual summit. The summit with the theme, ‘Nigeria’s Obsession with Paper Qualification and Integrity of Public Examinations: Is TVET the Way Forward’ featured panel sessions designed to proffer lasting solutions to achieving meaningful development that would restore competence, creativity and integrity in the nation’s education sector.

Olawumi Gasper, former executive secretary of Lagos State Technical and Vocation Education Board (LASTVEB), said the integrity of public examinations has collapsed to the point where many assessments no longer measure learning but the survival of a broken system.

Gasper was critical of the Nigerian mindset that equates certificates with competence, which has symbolised schooling into a race for credentials rather than capability.

According to him, when a society begins to worship certificates above creativity and innovation, we should not be surprised when the system bends towards shortcuts. Without urgent reform, Nigeria cannot build a credible workforce or compete globally,” he said.

Gasper, a former Rector of Lagos State Polytechnic, said that the Federal Government’s 2025 TVET Reforms and Skills Acceleration Agenda, aimed at repositioning vocational training as a mainstream development pathway, offers Nigeria a chance to reverse decades of misplaced priorities.

He noted that by formally elevating TVET to a national priority, the government has signalled a shift towards a skills-driven economy and reduced dependence on traditional academic qualifications.

Gasper, who was also the chairman of the occasion, called for TVET to be repositioned as a prestigious alternative to traditional academic routes, not a fallback for those considered less academically gifted.

He lauded government efforts in 2025 to upgrade science and technical colleges, expand skills centres, adopt industry-aligned competency curricula, deepen private-sector partnerships, and prioritise digital, renewable energy and creative industry skills.

“Our nation needs machinists, welders, coders, robotics fabricators, energy installers, automotive technicians and countless other skilled professionals.” “If Nigeria is serious about reducing unemployment and building a productive workforce, TVET is not only the way forward, it is the way upward,” he said.

He further suggested the introduction of specialised postgraduate programmes, Master’s degrees in carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical installation, auto-service, beauty therapy, caregiving, pastries, digital content creation, underwater welding, and other skilled trades.

He said offering high-level academic credentials in practical fields could help “rebrand TVET and elevate skills to the level of prestige Nigerians attach to university degrees”.

Commenting on the importance of the summit, Mojeed Alabi, Chairman of Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN), said the gathering was not a ceremonial meeting but a platform for confronting pressing challenges in education and driving meaningful change. adding that the summit was put together in order to seek urgent reforms to rebalance Nigeria’s inverted pyramid education structure.

Alabi noted that Nigeria’s competitiveness remains threatened if the country continues to produce large numbers of university graduates while neglecting the technicians and skilled workers needed to sustain national development. He pointed out that Africa’s largest black nation, Nigeria’s a persistent undervaluation of technical and vocational skills has left critical sectors underserved and weakened the foundation of its economy.

According to him, Nigerian tertiary institutions are in the habit of producing many engineers but very few technicians. The societal preference for university degrees over technical training has deepened skills shortages across infrastructure, manufacturing and service industries.”

The EWAN chairman called on journalists, educators and policymakers to move beyond observation to active advocacy for reforms that strengthen teaching, assessment and workforce readiness.

Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, who was represented by Afolabi Lesi, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development Services, said that Nigeria must begin to rethink its deep-rooted obsession with certificates.

Lesi said the culture of attaching excessive value to degrees has fuelled both unhealthy competition and widespread exam malpractice, adding that the country’s education system must begin to reward competencies, skills and the right attitudes rather than paper qualifications alone.

The university don noted that the University of Lagos champion certification, while also recognising that having a degree is not enough.“If you lack the skills and competencies that back your degree, then you have nothing. We must start rewarding competencies and skills appropriately,” he added.

He warned that Nigeria’s societal pressure for degrees at all costs is partly responsible for cheating, noting that many learners pursue certificates not for knowledge but for the social and economic rewards attached to them.

Lesi also emphasised a major gap in public awareness about ongoing reforms in the education sector, stressing that education reporters have a critical responsibility in closing the communication divide. “There is a lot of lack of knowledge about the good things happening. Your association has a big role in sensitising the public and helping more people understand and engage with the system,” he said.

Calling for stronger adoption of technology, the VC said digital systems remain the most effective way to curb examination malpractice.

Yomi Otubela, National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, while speaking during the first panel session at the summit, ‘Paper Qualification and Examinations Integrity: Addressing the Nexus’ said that the gradual introduction of CB-WASSCE and the new senior secondary school curriculum requires careful planning and broad stakeholder involvement.

According to him, the model of execution calls for caution, noting that parents, teachers, WAEC, NECO, and even the Ministry of Education remain confused. Otubela, who castigated the early enforcement of new curriculum subjects, added that students are being forced to study subjects not yet included in the NERDC syllabus, which unfairly disadvantages them and encourages malpractice. He further pointed out issues around infrastructure gaps, noting that many schools still rely on used computers and lack government support to adopt CBT effectively.

Amos Dangut, Head of National office, West African Examination Council (WAEC), who was represented by Rosemary Ojo-Odide, a Senior Deputy Registrar, Test Development, said that examination malpractice often stems not from deliberate dishonesty but from students’ lack of understanding and inadequate preparation.

Ojo-Odide, said that examinations are meant to be diagnostic tools guiding learning, not high-stakes competitions, adding that insufficient support from families during foundational years contributes to poor performance and academic shortcuts later in life.

On his part, Ibrahim Dantani, Registrar, National Examination Council ( NECO), advocated for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s education system, emphasising that certification should reflect genuine competence, knowledge and skills.

Dantani pointed out that TVET is only one part of a broader educational ecosystem that includes science, commercial education, arts and humanities, all vital to national development.

The NECO registrar was critical of the gaps in meaningful learning, questioning whether Nigerian schools are effectively implementing competence-based curricula.

He also raised concerns about teacher quality, teacher education programmes, school infrastructure, syllabus design and adherence to implementation guidelines, noting that weaknesses in these areas have eroded the value of education.

He further pointed out societal attitudes that favour traditional university pathways over practical and technical skills, even among highly educated families, as evidence of misaligned priorities. “To address these challenges, there is a need for curriculum redesign, enhanced teacher training, improved school facilities and strict enforcement of educational standards to ensure that students acquire both competence and meaningful knowledge,” he stated.

The panellists raised concerns over the Federal Government’s rushed policy reforms, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of stakeholder preparedness, which are enablers for examination malpractice and confusion among students in Nigeria.

There were also talks about systemic gaps in curriculum rollout, transition to Computer-Based WASSCE (CB-WASSCE), and broader education administration.