Nigeria faces digital skills emergency – UNICEF

70% of population now under 25

By Chinenye Anuforo

Nigeria is confronting a deepening digital skills emergency that threatens future growth, UNICEF has warned. The organisation said millions of young people are leaving school without the competencies required for today’s technology-driven economy, widening unemployment and weakening the country’s competitiveness.

At a two-day Media Dialogue on Accelerated Digital Learning organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information in collaboration with UNICEF on Wednesday in Lagos, senior government officials and education experts warned that the country is already experiencing the consequences of inadequate digital preparedness.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Babagana Aminu, said the nation’s demographic strength is at risk of turning into a liability. He explained that 70 per cent of the country’s estimated 260 million people are under 25, and by 2030, Nigeria will become the most populous in Africa with about 130 million young people alone. Despite this, nearly 80 per cent of Nigerian youth lack the digital skills required to compete in a global economy increasingly driven by artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

Aminu said the country’s crisis is two-fold: widespread digital illiteracy and deeper issues of digital incompetence, meaning young people lack the ability to use technology productively. He added that the country faces a troubling convergence of education and employment challenges, including 10.5 million out-of-school primary-age children, another eight million out-of-school adolescents, and labour market pressures from 3.5 million new entrants each year. According to him, about 59 per cent of young people are either unemployed or underemployed, while 60 per cent of graduates possess skills that do not match labour market needs, resulting in an annual loss estimated at 11 billion dollars.

Declaring the dialogue open, Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation, Rotimi Babalola, said the conversation around AI and emerging technologies is critical at a time when education is undergoing major transformation. He praised UNICEF for its consistent partnership with Oyo State and the media, saying technology has become central to learning and development. “This gathering offered an opportunity to examine how digital tools and artificial intelligence can shape teaching, learning, and the future of work.”

He also appreciated the media for its commitment to amplifying issues affecting children and women, expressing optimism for stronger collaboration in 2026.

Director of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Martins Opeyemi Olugbenga, said Lagos is already investing heavily in technology-assisted learning to prepare its students for global competitiveness. He explained that the state is digitalising classrooms across primary and secondary schools and training teachers to deploy AI tools in instruction. According to him, “Lagos considers education and technology inseparable, and is committed to scaling ongoing interventions so that learners are future-ready.”

Deputy Director at the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Adekunle Dawodu, stressed the need for stronger scientific and technological approaches within classrooms. He said, “teaching children is a complex task that requires modern strategies, and that strengthening digital learning must be prioritised if Nigeria hopes to keep pace with global educational trends.”

UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said the choices Nigeria makes now will determine who becomes included or excluded in a digital world. She warned that more than 18 million Nigerian children are out of school, including primary- and secondary-school-aged children, and girls remain disproportionately affected, with 18 out of every 100 girls in Nigeria not in school or any form of training. She said, “Nigeria, with one of the largest youth populations in Africa, projected to reach 26 million children and adolescents soon, risks leaving millions behind unless digital inclusion becomes a national priority.”

Lafoucriere noted that more than two million Nigerian children are already using digital learning platforms, including about 300,000 in the South-West, and over 62,000 girls and young people have completed digital skills programmes. She added that the Federal Government, through the National Council on Skills Development, has expressed commitment to digital transformation, but emphasised that the media must play a critical role in spotlighting gaps, promoting success stories, and advocating for sustained investment in digital tools, safe learning environments, and equitable opportunities for all children.

She urged journalists to use their platforms to correct misconceptions about digital learning, push for increased investment from government and the private sector, highlight communities at the margins, and challenge harmful norms that limit girls’ access to education and technology. She said Nigeria can build a generation of digitally competent and empowered young people, but only if policy makers, teachers, parents, and the media act decisively.

Aminu said the window for action is narrowing. He called for urgent reforms to outdated school policies that restrict digital devices, increased funding for digital-enabled classrooms, teacher retraining, and stronger partnerships with private sector technology providers. He added that Nigeria must ensure its school curricula reflect emerging realities, including AI, robotics, digital agriculture, and climate-smart practices.

He warned that if the country’s millions of young people are unable to compete globally, it risks squandering its demographic advantage. “If three out of every five young Africans by 2030 will be Nigerian, then Nigeria must ensure those young people can compete anywhere in the world. The future will not wait for us,” he said.

Throughout the dialogue, stakeholders highlighted several urgent needs: updated school policies that support controlled use of digital devices, expanded access to digital tools in public schools, improved electricity and connectivity, comprehensive teacher retraining, stronger investments from both government and the private sector, and a national curriculum that aligns with emerging technological realities, including robotics, AI, and digital agriculture.