By Ken Asinobi
A leading medical academic has raised alarm over Nigeria’s worsening education crisis, warning that more than 85 per cent of Nigerian graduates lack basic digital skills a deficiency he said poses a serious threat to youth employability and national development.
Dr. Enyindah made the assertion while delivering the convocation lecture titled “Resilience in Medical Innovation” at the 5th convocation ceremony of the PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS).
According to the lecturer, the digital skills gap reflects deep-seated structural problems in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, including outdated curricula, weak technological infrastructure and poor alignment between university training and labour market needs.
He noted that many graduates leave school without exposure to critical competencies such as data analysis, digital health tools, artificial intelligence and other technology-driven skills now central to modern workplaces.
Dr. Enyindah warned that the consequence of this disconnect is rising graduate unemployment and reduced national competitiveness, particularly as global economies increasingly depend on digital innovation.
He stressed that education must move beyond theoretical instruction to practical, technology-enabled learning, adding that failure to do so would continue to marginalise Nigerian graduates in both local and international job markets.
Calling for urgent reforms, he urged government, universities and the private sector to collaborate in overhauling curricula, investing in digital infrastructure and prioritising skills-based training across all disciplines. He cited PUMS as an example of how technology-driven medical education — through digital learning platforms, simulation and telemedicine — can help bridge the skills gap and prepare graduates for the realities of the 21st-century economy.
