Nigeria producing certificated graduates without employable

•We must begin to teach children how to think critically, not just memorise

By Dickson Okafor

Serial entrepreneur, foundational member and chieftain of the People Democratic Party, PDP, High Chief Joseph Chukwuma Ikunna, has commended the leadership of the 10th National Assembly adopting technology for fast-tracking the legislative process.

However, Ikunna, who recently emerged as the PDP candidate for the Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru West Federal Constituency of Imo State in the 2027 House of Representatives election, strongly opined that the 11th NASS, which he is earnestly seeking to join when elected next year, should focus more on making laws that will benefit the populace, re-focus educational programmes towards producing generations of Nigerians who have practical skills for solving everyday problems and discard the present curricula that produce graduates with certificate with no skills.

In this interview, he speaks on these and other national issues.

Looking at the 10th National Assembly, what is your assessment of the legislative body and improvements do you think need to be made?

Well, as should be expected, my mission to the 11th National Assembly is to make a positive impact on the lives of Nigerians and my constituents through sponsoring people oriented bills and motions. The 10th NASS has done well, but the legislative arm of government will continue to improve the standard of legislation. The legislature is the centre and stronghold of democracy because there is no democracy without it. So, the legislative arm is the nucleus of a democratically elected government. But it becomes a direct assault on the idea of justice and fundamental human rights and a call to question about people who are elected to protect life and property through lawmaking fail to do so. And when those entrusted with enforcing the law begin to dispense death without trial or behave in a way that does not differentiate them from criminals, society itself begins to slide toward anarchy. There is a whole world of difference between the National Assembly from 1999 and now. The most obvious change is technology. It has significantly fast-tracked the processes of lawmaking and legislative duties. Today, with tools like Zoom, WhatsApp, and other digital platforms, you draft a bill and motions without physical contact. You can record on an iPad and other devices to access contacts and information instantly. Two or three decades ago, that level of technological penetration was not possible, at least not in this part of the world. So, in terms of speed and access, the 10th National Assembly has improved tremendously. The pace is faster, and information flows more freely. However, while technology has improved efficiency, the question remains whether the bills that are passed into law have improved the quality of lives of Nigerians. Because in democracy, the legislature is the heartbeat of government, and sometimes one wonders whether that essence is being preserved in today’s fast-paced environment. Therefore, amid continued bloodbaths from insurgency across the country the National Assembly is expected to have found a lasting solution through the law. Joel Spolsky, Co-founder of Stack Overflow said “Nothing works better than just improving your product.” So, I believe that the 11th Assembly will continue to improve in order to meet the legal needs of the people.

Considering the separation of powers, what are your plans to raise the bar on checks and balances as this low now?

The 10th National Assembly did a wonderful job with the improvement on the timetable of the 2027 general election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the primaries of political parties. Therefore, I don’t think the National Assembly has failed in its legislative functions with regard to checks and balances of the other arms of government.

What would you say is driving the mass of defections we have seen?

I can attribute the mass defections across political parties to the imposition and overbearing attitude of some political leaders. Those excluded by manipulated primaries may defect to other political parties and may plot to destabilize the system. But that is not the case with the People Democratic Party because I emerged the winner through the people’s vote or endorsement. Elections can begin to mean the genuine expression of the people’s will with the Electoral Act 2026 which has amplified direct primaries with the foundation laid for all political parties’ members to decide who becomes their candidates, if properly conducted by political parties credible people will be elected in 2027.

How will you contribute to accelerated infrastructural development in your constituency if elected in 2027?

My emergence as a PDP candidate to represent my constituency in the Federal House of Representatives in 2027 is a divine call to offer people-centred representation. Meanwhile, I have paid my dues politically by being patient for the right time to seek elective office and that time is now. As a key member of the PDP from formation I have never switched parties. I am very sure to emerge winner next year to represent my constituency in the National Assembly. First, my party has scaled through an internal crisis, hence the outcome of the congresses has provided a clearer and more stable platform for engagement within the party, which is important for anyone aspiring to serve. It has strengthened the party structure and reaffirmed the importance of unity, discipline, and grassroots connection. These are the principles that will guide my approach going forward in terms of strategy. My focus will be on deepening engagement with stakeholders across all levels, party leaders, members, and especially the grassroots while aligning closely with the broader vision and direction of the PDP. To me, a strong party structure is essential, and I intend to work within that framework to build consensus, foster inclusiveness, and ensure effective mobilization. As for the value I intend to bring, my commitment is to be responsive and bring people-centred representation. Also, I will focus on practical issues through sponsoring bills and moving motions that affect everyday lives of constituents that will enable them to gain access to opportunities, and attract infrastructure that impacts on the lives of all. To curb the power supply challenge, having done much about provision of electricity, I will add to the 229 solar streetlights I installed in Uzinaumu, and almost another 500 solar streetlights, I am about to install in Etiti Mgbidi. My agenda if elected include youth empowerment and constituency development as my goal is to ensure that our constituency does not only have a voice at the national level, but also benefits meaningfully from that representation. To hit the ground running, I have put a team together of experienced people that will work with me in the National Assembly if elected to ensure that our Federal Constituency does not miss anything. More importantly, the team is made up of people who have previously worked in the National Assembly such as clerks, administrators and civil servants who know their way around. They also include lawyers, economists, and experienced lobbyists. This is necessary because I fully understand the constraint many first-timers face as they spend their first four years learning the ropes. And by the time they complete their tenure they have little or nothing to show for it. It is usually not their fault as many of them lack business management and productivity skills unlike me. I am properly educated in both Nigeria and England. I’m a trained long term strategic planner, a critical thinker and knowledgeable in game theory. Apart from my first eight years as a capital gains and inheritance tax specialist, I have also spent the past 30 years as an innovative entrepreneur, running vast businesses across the country, creating vital employment for thousands of people. So, like I said earlier, my team will hit the ground running on day one, in the realization that a new broom sweeps well, and that we are accountable to the people. I am 100% ready to shock the system. I discovered that as an industrialist. We have over 1000 vacancies, good and well paying jobs, in my constituency, but we cannot find enough qualified young Nigerians to fill them. In a country where millions are searching for jobs and companies are searching for qualified workers and cannot find them. However, that is not just a statistic, but a warning. The problem is not just unemployment, but unpreparedness. The truth is that we are raising too many young people who have certificates, but lack skills, exposure and direction. In fact, they have access to information, but lack discipline. And if we continue like this, the future will be very unforgiving.

In what way can you fix this, and get youths in your constituency ready to occupy these positions?

It will be done through formulation of human-oriented laws and motions in the National Assembly. I have repeatedly said that our educational system is failing our children with outdated curriculum. With little emphasis on practical knowledge hence we are producing graduates who cannot solve real problems related to the courses they studied. I will introduce a bill that will take care of distraction which has become a lifestyle. You see people spend hours on gossip, trends, and empty entertainment and invest very little time in learning, building or critical thinking. In Nigeria wrong values are being rewarded resulting in a quest for quick money without skill and such people are being celebrated, whilst hard work, discipline, and patience are being ignored. Also, parenting has changed, and not always for better. Some parents now focus on grades, not competence. Some even enable shortcuts that destroy the future of their own children. Unfortunately, people with such backgrounds end up being some of the leaders. We can change it and this is why leadership must move from talking to doing. If given the opportunity to represent my people, I will not just only speak about these problems, I will find direct answers. My plans include, introduction of a skill acquisition initiative in my constituency. I will encourage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with spendable grants to establish practical skill centres across our electoral wards that will focus on digital skills (coding, data entry, and remote work), technical trades (welding, electrical, solar installation), business skills (sales, marketing, small enterprise development). To achieve a youth employability programme, I will partner with the following establishments such as private companies, tech platforms and industrial bodies to create internship pipelines, remote job placements and skill certification pathways. This becomes vital because our young people must not just learn, they must earn.

You have the same promises your predecessors failed to fulfill. How can you possibly fulfill them within four years as a first time legislator?

I have stated previously that I intend to bring value as my commitment, be responsive and offer people-centred representation. Also, I will focus on practical issues that I highlighted above through sponsoring bills and moving motions that affect everyday lives of constituents that will enable them to gain access to opportunities, attract infrastructure that impacts on the lives of all. However, to actualize my goals in the 11th National Assembly, I will introduce school reform advocacy at the local level without controlling the federal curriculum. We can act inline. This includes introduction of after-school practical learning hubs, sponsor technology clubs in secondary schools, and organise problem-solving competitions. We must begin to teach children how to think critically, and not just what to memorise. Also, digital discipline campaigns are important and a serious issue. We will launch a constituency-wide awareness programme for parents, students, and young groups. Teaching them productive use of phones, time management, and value-bases content consumption hence technology must become a tool, not a trap. To further enhance community advancement, I will introduce young entrepreneurs support fund. This fund will be given to serious young people to support them through small grants, mentorship and market access. It is not handouts, but structured empowerment. To achieve community mentorship network, we have successful people across our constituency. Our job is to connect them to our youth through monthly mentorship sessions, career guidance platforms because a child cannot become what he has never seen. The has world changed and the future will not reward noise, excuses or shortcuts, but it will reward skill, discipline, creativity and value creation. So, I am not going to the National Assembly to warm a seat. I am going as a resource aggregator, a problem solver, and a builder of people because a constituency is not developed by roads alone, it is also developed by competent, empowered human beings.