UI Professor Declares Nigerian Graduates Employable, Counters Unemployment Myth

Earlier today, Former UI Dean Professor Surajudeen Bankole declared at the 2025 NextGen-Ideate graduation that Nigerian graduates are employable, directly challenging the widespread notion that they lack job readiness. Speaking as an economics expert, he argued that graduates excelling abroad prove the employability claim false, suggesting such statements often cover employers' or government's shortcomings rather than reflect graduate capability.

Bankole emphasized that UI's top national ranking and presence in African/world university rankings make blanket unemployability claims illogical, noting that if graduates were truly unemployable, they wouldn't be succeeding internationally or returning to contribute to institutions. He urged employers to increase hiring budgets and governments to adopt realistic expectations, framing graduate preparation as a shared responsibility where institutions deliver trained candidates who then deserve opportunities.

The professor's remarks come amid persistent graduate unemployment concerns in Nigeria, with many employers citing skills mismatches. By highlighting successful diaspora graduates and institutional rankings, Bankole shifts focus from blaming graduates to examining employer readiness and government policy. What responsibility should employers bear in preparing graduates for the workforce, and how might realistic government-university-industry collaboration improve actual hiring outcomes beyond perception?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/26/nigerian-graduates-not-unemployable-ui-don-declares/