By Bello Olaide

A graduate is a person who is recognized by a university as having completed the requirements of a degree studied at the institution. (Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary).

ChatGPT reasons that a graduate is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills acquired in their field of study. They should apply critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to real-life situations.

Graduates are expected to communicate effectively in speech and writing, showing clarity and confidence. They should also uphold ethical values, responsibility, and adaptability in diverse environments. Above all, a graduate is expected to be innovative, employable, and capable of contributing positively to society.

In the light of all of the above, the only thing that is obvious in graduates of these days is the signing out ceremony and the certificate. Some corps members were posted to my place of work not very long ago and to my surprise, they couldn’t teach what they have been given certificates for.

Let us examine all the key points in GPT’s view.

1. Display a mastery of knowledge and skills acquired. The minimum number of years that a student would study at an institution of higher learning is four year. During which, he would have studied a range of courses related  to the field of study: a build on the elementary, the intermediate and the final. In fact, some other courses would have been introduced just to give the student an insight to other related fields to the course. The end result is supposed to be an individual who knows something about almost every thing.

2. Apply critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to real life situations. The skills gathered at a university is expected to develop the critical thinking and problem solving ability of the student such that he or she can proffer solutions to problems arising from his/her daily existence with little or no help from outsiders. 

3. Communicate effectively in speech and writing. It is expected that someone who has undergone training in a particular field of study would be able to communicate in speech and writing. But I laugh at this when most of our graduates can’t do this.

4. Uphold ethical values, responsibility and adaptability in diverse situations. a graduate should act with honesty, fairness, and integrity in both personal and professional life. Responsibility requires them to be accountable for their actions, meet obligations, and handle tasks with diligence. Adaptability in diverse situations means they should be flexible and open-minded enough to work effectively with different people, cultures, and changing circumstances.

5. Being innovative means a graduate should be able to think creatively, generate new ideas, and find better ways of solving problems. To be employable, they must possess relevant skills, professionalism, and the ability to work well with others in the job market. By being capable of contributing positively to society, a graduate is expected to use their knowledge and skills to improve their community, promote development, and inspire positive change.

I believe that a checklist has been created but I am not sure that those we have as graduates of today tick all of the boxes or some of the boxes. We seem to be grooming an empty generation.

That is why during the launch of the Youth of Enterprise (YOE) programme, a flagship initiative by EnterpriseNG to address the high rates of unemployment and underemployment amongst Nigerian youths, a Nigerian banker and investor, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said a significant proportion of Nigerian graduates are not work-ready as they lack the skills most employers are looking for.

According to the philanthropist, it is impossible to achieve the aspirations of a developed Nigeria without tackling the problem of unemployment and employability in Nigeria.