At least 86% of 88.9 million Nigerians in the labour force have no post-secondary education in 2023.
This is according to the Nigeria Labour Force Survey (NLFS) annual report for 2023 recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to the report, about 76.6 million Nigerians in the labour force are without post-secondary qualifications, highlighting a significant gap in educational attainment that could hinder Nigeria’s economic growth and development.
This alarming figure highlights the nation’s ongoing struggles to equip its workforce with advanced skills needed in the modern economy.
With only 12.3 million people, or 14% of the labour force, having received post-secondary education, this divide in education levels presents significant challenges for Nigeria’s competitiveness on the global stage.
The data reflects the disparities in access to higher education and technical training, which are crucial for fostering innovation and enhancing productivity.
What the data says
The 76.6 million Nigerians include those in the labour force with “no education”, “primary education” and “secondary education”.
A striking feature of the data is that 24.3 million people in the labour force, or 81.6%, have no formal education. Despite this, 79% of these individuals are employed, leaving an unemployment rate of just 3.2%.
This data suggests that those with no education may be predominantly engaged in informal sectors, such as agriculture, trading, or other low-skill jobs that do not require formal qualifications. These jobs may offer lower wages and fewer opportunities for upward mobility but are nonetheless essential in providing livelihoods for a large portion of Nigeria’s population.
The labour force with primary education makes up 23.1 million individuals, with a labour force participation rate of 65.6%. The employment rate for this group is 62.9%, and the unemployment rate rises slightly to 4.1%. This marginal increase in unemployment compared to those with no education may be attributed to a greater reliance on formal sectors for employment, where the demand for primary education may not be sufficient for highly skilled jobs.
The largest segment of the labour force, totaling 29.2 million people, has secondary education. With a labour force participation rate of 77.7% and an employment rate of 72.5%, this group has a higher unemployment rate of 6.7%. This suggests that while secondary education opens doors to a wider range of job opportunities, there remains a mismatch between the skills acquired at this level and the job market’s requirements.
A critical observation in the data is that individuals with post-secondary education, totaling 11.7 million, have the highest labour force participation rate at 87.9%. However, despite this high participation rate, 9.4% of this group remains unemployed, a significantly higher rate compared to other educational categories.
This trend points to a significant challenge for Nigeria’s labour market. While post-secondary education is typically associated with better employment prospects, the data reveals that a substantial portion of these individuals struggle to find jobs.
Interestingly, the group with postgraduate education has the lowest unemployment rate at 3.8%. While only 606,020 individuals fall into this category, the employment rate is high at 87.3%, reflecting that advanced degrees often lead to better job security and higher-paying positions. Postgraduates are more likely to find employment in specialized, professional fields, where advanced qualifications are typically required.
What you should know
Nairametrics earlier reported that 84% of Nigeria’s working-class population is self-employed in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a decrease from the 87.3% recorded in Q3 2023.
The report indicates a decline of 3.3%-points in the self-employment rate, highlighting a shift within the labor market. Also, Nigeria continues to grapple with a high rate of informal employment.
According to the NBS report, 92.7% of the country’s employed population is engaged in informal work.
In its Nigeria Country Diagnostic Note (CDN) 2023, the African Development Bank (AfDB) noted that about 34.3% of Nigerian workers, aged 15 and older, are working poor, living below the poverty line despite being employed.
According to the document, many workers in Nigeria are trapped in poverty due to low-skilled and low-wage jobs.
Also, in the first quarter of 2024, 14.4% of Nigerian youths aged 15 to 24 were identified as neither attending school, employed, nor participating in any form of training. This figure marked an increase from 13.7% in the third quarter of 2023.
This group, referred to as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), represents young people who have completed their education but are not involved in the labour market or further studies, reflecting a state of youth disengagement.
