What Dangote Told Me About Nigerian Graduates, Reason For Hiring Foreigners — Ex-minister, Adeosun

By Rotela Oguns

Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has revealed what Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, told her during a private conversation about the quality of most Nigerian graduates and how it has contributed to his penchant for hiring foreigners

Adeosun noted that there is a growing, even alarming, skills gap in Nigeria’s labour market, stressing that this development has contributed to major employers’ decision to hire expatriates to be at sensitive and managerial positions in their companies.

She added that Dangote lamented the development during their conversation.

The ex-minister spoke on Channels Television’s The Platform, adding that this is not an issue of shortage of job seekers, but a mismatch between available talent and industry requirements.

She revealed that Dangote personally expressed frustration over the difficulty of finding qualified personnel within Nigeria, despite receiving a large volume of applications.

The ex-minister stressed that Nigeria has an army of job-seeking graduates with few armed with requisite skills to perform remarkably in the positions they are applying for.

“I had a conversation with Dangote recently, and he told me it’s not that he wants to employ foreigners but he can’t get staff in Nigeria. Meanwhile, we have an army of people. Every day I am seeing CVs, so then something is wrong,” she said.

Adeosun explained that this situation reflects a deeper structural challenge in the country’s education and training systems, where many graduates reportedly lack the practical and technical skills required by employers in key sectors.

She warned that unless the gap between academic training and industry needs is addressed, Nigeria may continue to experience a paradox of high unemployment alongside persistent vacancies in skilled roles.

The ex-minister called for  urgent reforms in education, vocational training, and workforce development to better align graduates with labour market demands.