The Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) says the widening gap in practical engineering skills is undermining efforts to industrialise Africa’s largest economy, even as governments and businesses continue to invest in infrastructure, technology and industrial projects.
Speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Dominic Udoatan, NATE president said Nigeria’s technical colleges and polytechnics remain constrained by obsolete equipment, poorly equipped workshops, inadequate practical materials, unreliable electricity supply and a shortage of experienced instructors.
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According to Udoatan , the situation has left many graduates without the hands-on skills required by modern industries, forcing employers to spend additional resources on retraining workers or rely on imported expertise.
“The country is facing a shortage of strategic technical skills that support manufacturing, production engineering and industrial development,” Udoatan said.
He identified the absence of critical disciplines such as foundry technology, machine tools
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