State and Contradictions on Skills Development in Nigeria

This paper advances the scholarly position that skills development is imperative for Nigeria in an era of intense globalization. It argues that skills development is the key for Nigeria’s socio-economic development, considering the country’s political-economic history, current social, economic, cultural, environmental, and health problems it faces and the demands of a fast-globalizing world. However, its central concern is that successive Nigerian governments have been rhetorical about developing skills. The country is not lacking policy, legal and institutional frameworks on skills development; yet skills shortages abound. The paper explores the concept of skills development, its relevance in the age of globalization; the role of the State in skills development, and the contradictions which have played out in the performance of this role, using Nigeria as a case study. It also provides answers to the following critical questions: Why has the issue of skills development become problematic in Nigeria despite the country’s rich natural, material, and human resources? And what are the contradictions that could be identified in national aspirations on skills development? The paper is based on qualitative research, and the researchers undertake a critical analysis of literature on the subject matter. A connection is established between skills development and the issue of governance in Nigeria in a conceptual framework for analysis.