Nigeria needs to produce between 30,000 and 70,000 information technology graduates every year to become a major player in the e-commerce and technology circles.
This was the position of experts who spoke at a two-day annualCisco Networking Academyconference held recently at theUniversity of Lagos(UNILAG).
According to them, the number of ICT graduates coming out from the country’s tertiary institutions cannot meet the needs of the economy.
Cisco’s General Manager Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone,Dare Ogunlade, said governments at all levels should deploy policy and training programmes to help solve the world’s fastest-growing gap in networking professionals.
“Specific programmes and targeted policies are needed to expand the total pool of qualified people in Nigeria, as well as globally," Ogunlade said.
"More effort is particularly needed to expand the pool of qualified networking talent by increasing the number of new networking employees (graduates); encouraging and enabling mid-career professionals to transition to ICT and networking; and increasing Nigeria’s total talent by encouraging immigration.”
He said with connectivity accelerating at a fast pace in Nigeria, there is a growing need for skilled ICT professionals which is not limited to Nigeria.
He however noted that the problem can be solved.
“Whilst this phenomenal growth highlights the presence of the IP networking gap, with dedicated public policy, specific training programmes, and public involvement on the part of governments, citizens and private enterprise, we can solve the talent gap," he added.
Quoting the INSEAD Business School’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2014, co-authored by Cisco, he noted that the global shortage of skilled IP networking professionals will be at least 1.2 million people in 2015.
This was the position of experts who spoke at a two-day annualCisco Networking Academyconference held recently at theUniversity of Lagos(UNILAG).
According to them, the number of ICT graduates coming out from the country’s tertiary institutions cannot meet the needs of the economy.
Cisco’s General Manager Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone,Dare Ogunlade, said governments at all levels should deploy policy and training programmes to help solve the world’s fastest-growing gap in networking professionals.
“Specific programmes and targeted policies are needed to expand the total pool of qualified people in Nigeria, as well as globally," Ogunlade said.
"More effort is particularly needed to expand the pool of qualified networking talent by increasing the number of new networking employees (graduates); encouraging and enabling mid-career professionals to transition to ICT and networking; and increasing Nigeria’s total talent by encouraging immigration.”
He said with connectivity accelerating at a fast pace in Nigeria, there is a growing need for skilled ICT professionals which is not limited to Nigeria.
He however noted that the problem can be solved.
“Whilst this phenomenal growth highlights the presence of the IP networking gap, with dedicated public policy, specific training programmes, and public involvement on the part of governments, citizens and private enterprise, we can solve the talent gap," he added.
Quoting the INSEAD Business School’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2014, co-authored by Cisco, he noted that the global shortage of skilled IP networking professionals will be at least 1.2 million people in 2015.
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