The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that a shortage of skilled workers threatens the long-term growth of the country’s telecom industry, despite the sector creating more than 500,000 jobs since its liberalisation in 2001.
Speaking at a Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Skill Gaps in the Telecom Value Chain, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said research shows a wide gap between the digital skills employers require and those available in the workforce.
According to him, while companies expect 30 percent of their staff to have advanced digital skills, only 11 percent of workers currently meet that standard. Roles most affected include desktop/support technicians, data analysts, ICT engineers, software developers, and data scientists — positions that already account for 25 percent of jobs in the sector.
Maida listed several reasons for the gaps, including reliance on foreign experts, poor retention of local talent, outdated academic curricula, and global competition for Nigerian workers.
The Commission said government initiatives such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020–2030), the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, and the National AI Strategy are aimed at closing the gaps. The NCC is also running its own projects, including the Digital Learning Initiative and the Campus Innovation Entrepreneurship Program.
