- By Igbang Juliet Ikedie
Omniversity Imperial College has sought a major shift from theory-driven education to practice-based qualifications as a strategy for addressing Nigeria’s skills gap, unemployment challenges, and workforce development needs.
The call was made during an African innovation workshop and practice qualification conferment ceremony held in Lagos, which brought together government officials, industry leaders, academics, and professionals from different sectors.
President and Board Chairman, Prof. Tokunbo Akeredolu-Ale described the gathering as more than a ceremonial event, noting that it was aimed at advancing a new way of thinking about education and development in Africa.
“This is not an event driven by rhetoric,” he said. “It is born out of the reality that Africa needs a new approach—one that is innovative, transformative, and focused on real impact. We are beginning to gather disciples who believe in this cause.”
Delivering the keynote address entitled: “Revolutionising Nigeria’s Education and Workforce Development: Integrating Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), Competency-Based Education (CBE) and Skill Recognition into the National Education Qualifications Framework,” the institution’s first Professor of Practice and Vice President, Marketing, Prof. Toromade Francis emphasised that Nigeria’s greatest untapped resource is its people.
According to him, millions of Nigerians possess valuable skills acquired through experience but lack formal certification to validate their competence.
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“Our biggest wealth is not oil or gas; it is human capital,” he said. “Many people can do the job but cannot prove it on paper. This is the crisis we are here to solve.”
Francis identified key challenges within the education system, including the emphasis on time spent in classrooms rather than competence demonstrated, and the mismatch between theoretical knowledge and industry needs. He explained that Omniversity’s model focuses on recognising skills through competency-based education, and micro-credentials aligned with global standards.
He added that aligning Nigeria’s qualifications framework with continental and global systems would improve workforce mobility, employer confidence, productivity, and economic growth.
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Dakuku Peterside, delivered a presentation entitled: “Maritime Skills, Global Workforce Mobility and the Case for Maritime Expertise Validation.”
Peterside noted that Nigeria’s maritime industry remains central to national and global trade, accounting for about 98 per cent of Nigeria’s export activities, while over 70 per cent of global cargo is transported by sea. He stressed that the sector depends heavily on skilled maritime professionals, yet faces a significant shortage of trained personnel.
He explained that maritime skills are critical to economic growth, national security, and job creation, adding that the sector supports thousands of jobs and plays a vital role in oil and gas operations. Peterside further noted that maritime training in Nigeria is regulated by NIMASA in line with international standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
He described practice qualifications as competency-based recognitions that assess real-world expertise and professional impact, noting that such models are already recognised by institutions such as the United States Coast Guard. According to him, Omniversity’s practice qualification framework complements regulatory certification by validating applied knowledge in maritime safety, port operations, navigation, marine engineering, logistics, and administration.
Peterside argued that integrating practice-based qualifications with regulatory systems would enhance global workforce mobility for Nigerian professionals, improve industry credibility, and contribute significantly to the growth of the blue economy.
Other speakers at the event included Dr. Michael Okara, who spoke on personal development using John Maxwell’s 15 Laws of Growth, and Dakuku, who highlighted Nigeria’s alignment with emerging global education trends, particularly in capacity building, maritime skills development, and practice-based qualifications.
Akeredolu-Ale reaffirmed the college’s commitment to repositioning education through skills validation and practice-based learning.
