• Seeks Urgent Reforms In Education, Power Sectors

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A financial market and technology expert, Abubakar Bello, has identified systemic misalignment of education, industry and public policy as one of the greatest challenges facing Nigeria, adding that this has continued to fuel unemployment, underemployment and exodus of skilled professionals.

He noted that talented, skilled and professional young people abound across the length and breadth of the country.

Bello, a 32-year-old Ilorin-born technology professional and co-founder of MALhub, a tech company, who made the assertion during an interview with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, called for urgent reforms in education, power supply and access to business financing to unlock the country’s vast human capital.

According to him, Nigeria possesses enormous raw talents, but lacks the institutional, regulatory and cultural systems required to develop and retain globally competitive professionals.

“The system is not broken in one place; it is misaligned in several places at once, and those misalignments compound over time,” he said.

Bello, who identified the disconnect between university education and labour market demands as one of the country’s biggest challenges, lamented that graduates are often academically sound, but lack the practical skills employers require.

He also criticised what he described as a cultural obsession with celebrating success without emphasising the years of discipline, skills development, mentorship and professional growth needed to achieve it.

Drawing from nearly a decade of professional experience in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom, Bello dismissed the widespread belief that relocating abroad automatically guarantees career success.

He argued that global employers are more interested in competence than nationality, stressing that professionals who build relevant skills, acquire internationally recognised certifications and develop strong portfolios can compete successfully anywhere in the world.

“The biggest misconception is that a globally competitive career is primarily about location. The real question employers ask is, ‘What can you do?’ not where you come from,” he said.

While acknowledging that working abroad provides greater exposure, higher earning potential and stronger professional networks, Bello warned that migration without adequate preparation often leaves many Nigerians struggling to rebuild their careers from scratch.

He maintained that world-class careers can still be built from Nigeria, especially with the growing opportunities in the global remote work economy.

On the country’s rising unemployment and underemployment, Bello said the solution lies in aligning education with industry needs through stronger partnerships between universities and employers, continuous curriculum review and greater investment in practical skills.

He said his experience at MALhub, which has trained thousands of young Nigerians and supported more than 1,000 businesses, showed that discipline, mentorship and solving real problems consistently distinguish successful entrepreneurs from those who fail.

According to him, entrepreneurs who prioritise social media visibility over validating their business ideas often struggle, while those who focus on solving specific problems, maintaining financial discipline and seeking honest mentorship are more likely to succeed.

He, however, acknowledged that many businesses fail despite sound management because of structural economic challenges such as poor electricity supply, unstable exchange rates, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to affordable credit and regulatory bottlenecks.

Speaking on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bello advised Nigerian professionals to embrace emerging technologies rather than fear them.

He noted that although automation would replace millions of jobs globally, it would also create new opportunities for professionals who combine technological literacy with industry-specific expertise.

Rather than asking whether AI would eliminate jobs, he urged workers to identify tasks that technology cannot easily perform and position themselves around those areas.

Bello also described Nigeria’s fintech industry as both transformative and incomplete.

While commending the sector for significantly expanding access to financial services, he argued that financial inclusion alone would not deliver sustainable prosperity without improving financial literacy and extending services to underserved rural communities.

On innovation, he challenged the narrative that Africa is merely a consumer of technology, pointing to the emergence of globally recognised Nigerian fintech firms as evidence that innovation already exists.

He, however said the country must invest more aggressively in technical education, create enabling regulatory frameworks and provide patient investment capital if it hopes to become a major exporter of technology.

Bello identified reliable electricity supply as the country’s most urgent economic priority, arguing that businesses currently spend scarce resources on self-generated power that could otherwise be invested in expansion and job creation.

He also called for compulsory industry-academia collaboration as part of university accreditation requirements and advocated the establishment of accessible early-stage financing for small and medium-sized enterprises.

“The challenge in Nigeria is not the absence of good policy ideas; it is the implementation gap. The real question is whether there is sufficient political will and institutional capacity to execute them,” he said.

On wealth creation, Bello cautioned young Nigerians against pursuing quick riches through betting and other get-rich-quick schemes that promise overnight success without genuine value creation.

He therefore urged them to focus on acquiring valuable skills, building sustainable income, saving consistently and investing patiently over time.

Reflecting on his leadership journey across multinational institutions and grassroots innovation initiatives, Bello said while international organisations taught him professional excellence, governance and accountability, leading MALhub provided deeper lessons in adaptability, empathy and mission-driven leadership.