Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has called for an urgent national commitment to digital skills development, warning that Nigeria risks deeper unemployment and economic stagnation if it fails to equip its rapidly growing youth population for the realities of the modern economy.
Bamidele who said this while delivering the 37th convocation lecture of Yaba College of Technology, titled, 'Entrepreneurship Development in the Digital Age: Leveraging Technology for Job Creation', explained that the wave of global technological disruption has made it unrealistic for governments anywhere in the world, including Nigeria to provide white-collar jobs for all graduates.
According to him, governments are instead cutting the cost of governance and increasingly replacing human labour with high-tech machines and artificial intelligence. He stressed that this shift leaves nations with no choice but to prioritise innovation, technical skills and digital competence.
"Nigeria is one of the world's youngest nations, with a median age of 17. Yet our past is filled with poverty, mass unemployment, low productivity and youth restiveness. If we are determined to survive and thrive, there is no better time to deepen advocacy for digital economy, technological innovation and wealth creation."
Bamidele noted that despite worrying youth unemployment rates, Nigeria is simultaneously experiencing rapid digital transformation. He highlighted the growth of the tech-startup ecosystem, which raised more than US$400 million in 2024, while the fintech sector alone attracted over US$2 billion in investment the same year.
He added that the ICT sector, now contributing about 19 per cent of the nation's GDP, continues to expand and represents a major opportunity for job creation and economic renewal.
According to the senate leader, the convergence of Nigeria's youthful population, expanding technological infrastructure and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit presents both a challenge and a golden opportunity for national transformation.
Bamidele urged policymakers, educators and private-sector actors to collaborate in equipping young Nigerians with digital capabilities that can drive innovation, generate employment and reposition the country in the global economy.
In his remarks, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, highlighted some of the reforms that will redefine its academic and developmental outlook as it transitions into a specialised university of technology and vocational training
He stated that the transformation marks a historic shift in the institution's national role, academic identity, and contributions to Nigeria's technological and economic advancement.
According to him, YABATECH is redesigning its programmes, expanding industry partnerships and strengthening its research capabilities to produce globally competitive innovators equipped for the digital economy.
Speaking on the theme, Abdul said that the institution is positioning its graduates not just as job seekers, but as job creators ready to drive Nigeria's digital and industrial renaissance.
To support its new mandate, he outlined several strategic projects including; National Skills Resource Centre (NSRC), which will be developed in collaboration with tech companies, venture capital groups and international TVET partners to produce globally skilled talent for local and international markets, solar-powered smart campus ecosystem, YABATECH Science, Technology and Business Incubation Hub (STBI Hub), designed as the flagship of the new university framework.
The STBI Hub will nurture student-led enterprises in fintech, agritech, digital health and creative technology. It will feature design-thinking labs, startup incubators, and advanced technology studios to stimulate innovation from within the campus.
Abdul described these initiatives as catalysts for national development, stressing that they would deepen innovation, accelerate job creation and empower young Nigerians to shape the digital economy.
"Together, we can transform this transition moment into a national turning point," he said.
Speaking to the theme of the lecture, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Funso Afolabi stated that the topic is timely for Nigeria, especially as the global economy becomes increasingly driven by digital innovation.
He emphasised that YABATECH is aligning with the federal government's Renewed Hope Agenda by strengthening its curriculum, enhancing research outputs, and expanding industry partnerships to produce graduates that are innovators, problem-solvers and job creators.
He described Bamidele as a visionary leader, whose leadership philosophy mirrors the values of classical thinkers and whose programmes continue to empower communities across Nigeria and the diaspora.
Afolabi urged staff, students, alumni, and guests to draw inspiration from the lecture, adding that the institution remains committed to adopting technology-driven learning models that can help reduce unemployment and drive national development.
"When individuals invest in education, they invest in the future of countless young people and in the progress of our nation," he said.